WASHINGTON D.C. (WTVB) – Federal legislation that is expected to have an impact on the Branch Area Careers Center sailed through the U.S. House on a unanimous vote Wednesday and is now heading to President Trump’s desk.
Michigan Republican Congressman Tim Walberg says H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, will help prepare more students and workers to secure good-paying jobs.
Walberg’s office said in a statement that the bipartisan legislation reauthorizes and modernizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act for this first time in more than a decade.
According to Walberg, “improving career and technical education programs will be a real difference maker for hardworking men and women in Michigan. Skills-based education opens doors to good-paying jobs, many of which are left unfilled waiting for workers with the right hands-on experience. As our economy continues to grow, preparing students for the 21st century workforce is critical. This is a timely bill and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”
H.R. 2353 also contains Walberg’s bipartisan legislation, the New HOPE Act, to help states address burdensome occupational licensing requirements, which can create unnecessary regulatory barriers to job growth and economic opportunity.
Walberg is a senior member of the Education and the Workforce Committee. Walberg has visited CTE programs across his congressional district, including those offered at the Branch Area Careers Center.
