Van Hollen, Duckworth, Durbin, Feinstein, Shaheen, Klobuchar Reintroduce Legislation To Train Students For High Skilled Jobs

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) reintroduced legislation to make education more affordable for students pursuing degrees in high-skill industries. The bill would help businesses fill vacant, good-paying positions with qualified candidates. The Community College to Career Fund in Higher Education Act (CC2C), which Senator Van Hollen has previously introduced, would support innovative partnerships between technical colleges, community colleges and businesses that train students for careers in high-demand fields. This legislation builds off of successful public-private partnerships that trains workers for jobs in high-skill industries like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, clean energy and information technology. The apprenticeship program supports the future of the American workforce by expanding access for students who historically have not had this access.

The Community College to Career Fund in Higher Education Act (CC2C) will help reduce education costs for students, fill jobs and increase America’s competitiveness in the global economy. The bill will create a competitive grant program to support more partnerships between two-year colleges and businesses. These partnerships will focus on valuable job training-related efforts, such as registered apprenticeships, on-the-job training opportunities and paid internships for low-income students that allow them simultaneously to earn credit for work-based learning in a high-skill field. The legislation is endorsed by the National Skills Coalition, American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), Harper College, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the National Job Corps Association.

Senator Van Hollen has been a long-time advocate of increasing resources for higher education institutions, making college more affordable for students and closing the skills-gap.