U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Todd Young (R-IN) recently co-sponsored a bill that would direct federal funding to high-tech training and education programs in high schools.
The 21st Century Strengthening Hands on Programs that Cultivate Learning Approaches for Successful Students Act is designed to give students the opportunity to learn the skills needed to get jobs in high-tech manufacturing.
The bill would amend the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act to give greater priority to funding for these programs.
“Many manufacturing companies in our state have job openings with good salaries, but they can’t fill them because too many workers haven’t had the opportunity to learn the skills they need to take on those jobs. We need to fix this,” Gillibrand said. “I’m proud to introduce new bipartisan legislation to make sure tech-ed classes are teaching students how to use the latest high-tech tools, like 3D printers, that manufacturing companies expect them to know how to use. Our students should be able to take many different paths in order to get a good job and earn a good salary, and this bill would help equip more students with the skills they need to get on a path toward good-paying high-tech jobs when they graduate high school.”
An estimated 2 million manufacturing jobs could go unfilled between now and 2025 due to a lack of skilled workers. Further, 70 percent of manufacturing executives say they need more workers who have high-tech skills.
The bill would help kids gain skills in technologies like 3D printers, laser cutters, and computerized machine tools that are transforming American manufacturing.
Similar legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Steve Stivers (R-OH), Mark Takano (D-CA), and Susan Brooks (R-IN).