In response to the US House of Representatives passed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act this week, the Associated General Contractors of America issued a statement highlighting how the legislation will affect the US construction sector.
“The fact an overwhelming and bipartisan majority of the House approved this new career and technical education legislation is a clear sign that members of Congress understand the need to provide more students with the skills they need to enter high-paying careers like construction,” said CEO Stephen E. Sandherr in the statement. “Significantly, this new legislation includes reforms we have long advocated to allow school officials to offer programs that local employers need. In addition, the measure opens the way for greater acceptance of industry-recognized credentials within school programs, something we also have long championed.”
The statement said that moving forward, the AGC will be work “aggressively” to encourage the Senate to quickly pass this measure and send it to the president for his signature. “The last thing our economy can afford is to continue preparing students for jobs that don’t exist while employers search in vain for workers with skills that aren’t taught,” Sandherr concluded.