WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, held a hearing titled “Career and Technical Education: Developing the Future of Main Street Success” to examine how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs are a viable pathway to the workforce and how more skilled workers could reduce the labor shortage hurting small businesses.

“American small businesses need more plumbers, welders, and carpenters,” said Chairman Williams. “Career and Technical Education programs play a vital role in supplying the skilled workforce that Main Street relies on. Despite these programs creating an affordable pathway for students to graduate with no debt, a career, and plenty of entrepreneurial and growth opportunities, CTE is often passed over by young people entering the workforce. This Committee will continue to improve and promote options that boost the American economy.”

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Watch the full hearing here.

Below are some key excerpts from today’s hearing:

Chairman Williams: “Based on your experience teaching CTE programs, these programs provide a pivotal solution to the skilled workforce shortage and offer students a robust pathway to acquire hands-on experience, industry-recognized certifications, and valuable partnerships with local businesses. My question is: what more can be done to increase awareness of skilled trades so students can utilize them as pathways to high-paying, in-demand careers?” Dr. Nix: “I think it starts with really recognizing the fact that you can graduate and enter the workforce with a skilled trade that costs you pretty much nothing if you’re coming from public school. There is no college tuition that you have to pay to get that. A lot of times, high schools can provide that full certification in your high school experience, and you can graduate with little to no debt. I think incentivizing that and helping parents understand that is a huge part of promoting and recruiting students into skilled trades, for sure.”

Rep. Bresnahan: “I hope that you could provide some insight back to the Committee, here, on how you partner with small businesses inside of the community and the curriculum that you’re creating matches what the current workforce actually needs. So, are there any examples of successful partnerships with small businesses somewhere within your over three-hundred-mile radius, that you can point to—that we can have some better insight on?” Dr. Gunuskey: “Yes, absolutely. I’d be happy to share that. So, one of the reasons that I think our programs are so successful is because they’re celebrated and embraced by our community. Our community loves that we have these programs. They see the value in them. They understand that we need more of them, and we need them to grow. We need more participation. What has, I think, greatly benefited our program—and it’s something that I think Pennsylvania does very well—is the requirement for every CTE program to have Occupational Advisory Committees—OAC committees—that meet twice a year. Those committees are required for small businesses, industry professionals, post-secondary institutions to come in and meet with us twice a year, each program, and really dissect what we’re doing, looking at our task list, looking at what students are learning, looking at the equipment that we’re utilizing, and giving us feedback as to: are we hitting the mark or are we not? What do we need to change? What do we need to update? So, I would strongly suggest OACs to any school that is not doing that. I think that is a strong complement to any program.”

Rep. Stauber: “At the end of last year, there were roughly 6.5 million job openings nationwide. In Northern Minnesota and across the 8^th District, contractors tell me they have work lined up, but it can be difficult to find enough skilled workers to complete it. From your vantage point, how is the skilled labor shortage impacting the construction companies you represent—especially small and midsize firms?” Mr. Gibson: “Build Up Kansas took this on several years ago because, again, we need 58,000 new construction workers to keep up with market demand, but the bottom line is the small to medium-sized firms are now having to be very selective on what they bid, which keeps them from being able to grow their company, grow their expertise, and other related growth opportunities.” Rep. Stauber: “And that’s what we want to do in the Small Business [Committee], Mr. Gibson…Have the small businessman or woman be part of that.”

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