American students have a variety of interests and talents and it’s important that we foster and nurture their abilities.  That is why I feel so strongly about providing the resources that are needed for students interested in highly skilled careers in professions that require specialized, technological training.

In a sweeping display of bipartisanship, the House recently reauthorized the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act by a vote of 416 to 9.  The measure provides significant federal funding for technical and vocational education.  Nationally, this year’s reauthorization calls for $1.3 billion in funding for FY 2006, and ensures additional funding for another five years.  Maryland will receive $18.6 million for the upcoming school year under the new funding formula in the bill.

House passage of this bill is particularly significant because the program faced elimination under the Bush Administration’s proposed FY 2006 budget.  Rather than cut the programs, Congress authorized funding that will provide qualified teachers and up-to-date technology so that American students can pursue a broad array of technical and highly skilled careers.

The measure, which calls for a greater emphasis on math, science, and technical education to prepare students for the high-wage, highly skilled jobs of the future, will affect a large number of American students. In the United States, approximately 96% of all students take at least one career technical education course during high school.  In Maryland, more than 133,000 students participate in programs to prepare them for highly technical careers.

Studies also show that students who graduate from vocational and technical programs perform better on placement tests, have consistently lower dropout rates, and are employed at a higher rate and with better wages than those who do not participate in such programs.  Nursing, for example, is a career that requires very specialized training and receives funding under this program.  Today, the United States is facing a shortage of more than 126,000 nurses.

American students must be prepared for the future and able to function in a highly skilled environment.  This legislation will provide the resources that are necessary so that students of today have the ability to take on new challenges of tomorrow.  

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