The House of Representatives by voice vote recently approved H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act as amended earlier last week by the Senate. The legislation is now clear for signature by President Trump.

Passage of this legislation, sponsored by Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.), has been a legislative priority for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA).

The legislation is intended to modernize current federal law by aligning career and technical education programs to meet the needs of the regional, state and local labor markets; supporting greater collaboration between schools and employers; increasing student participation in work-based learning opportunities; and promoting the use of recognized industry and other postsecondary credentials.

“NWRA is pleased that Congress is taking action to increase federal support for job training programs,” said NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith in a statement. “The waste and recycling industry has experienced a growing labor shortage over the past several years, and we thank Congressman Thompson for his leadership on this issue. Passage of H.R. 2353 has been one of our top legislative priorities, and we urge President Trump to sign the bill into law.”

NWRA noted it also supports passage of H.R. 3831, the Professional Pell Education Learning (PROPEL) Act, which would authorize nontraditional schools that are approved for GI benefits to be Pell Grant eligible.

It should be noted that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is implementing provisions of the FAST Act to assist in the transition of military veterans into careers as Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers.