WHEREAS, The month of February, 2014, has been designated Career and Technical Education Month by the Association for Career and Technical Education; and

WHEREAS, Profound economic and technological changes in our state are transforming the structure and nature of work, placing new and additional responsibilities on our educational system; and

WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Senate’s “Rhode to Work” report found there is a projected ‘middle skills’ gap in Rhode Island along with a potential labor shortage in middle skill fields; and

WHEREAS, That same report recognized the importance of career and technical education in closing this skills gap and preparing Rhode Island’s workforce of the future; and

WHEREAS, Career and technical education is the backbone of a strong, well-educated state workforce, helping foster productivity in business and industry, and increasing Rhode Island’s economic competitiveness; and

WHEREAS, Career and technical education introduces students to the practical and technical demands of the workplace, and is combined with traditional classroom instruction, which improves the quality of their education; and

WHEREAS, Career and technical education offers students lifelong opportunities to learn new skills, increase their employability and earnings capacity, and provides them with career choices and personal and professional satisfaction; and

WHEREAS, The cooperative efforts of career and technical educators, business and labor representatives, and state policymakers will help stimulate the growth and innovation of Rhode Island’s career and technical education system, strengthening the state’s economy, and preparing future workers for rewarding careers in some of the highest projected growth occupations in Rhode Island; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby declares the month of February to be "Career and Technical Education Month" in our state; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby urges all citizens, students, and employers to become familiar with the services and benefits offered by career and technical education programs in this state and to support these programs in their mission of preparing Rhode Island’s future workforce; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Chair of the Board of Education.