Quigley Introduces Legislation to Help More Americans Break into High-Paying Fields
TECH Careers Act Supports Job-Training Programs at Technical and Community Colleges
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), member of the New Democrat Coalition, and Reps. Elizabeth Esty (CT-05), Jim Himes (CT-04) and Joe Courtney (CT-02) introduced the Technical Education Creates High-Paying Careers (TECH Careers) Act, a bill to expand innovative community college and technical programs so more Americans can break into high-demand fields with good-paying careers.
“When I was sworn in to Congress in April of 2009, we were at the height of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. Fortunately, we’ve come a long way since then, but there is still plenty of work to be done,” said Rep. Quigley. “We must strengthen our education and skills-training programs so that Americas are prepared for the jobs of today’s economy. Today, I’m proud to introduce the TECH Careers Act with Representatives Esty, Himes and Courtney, which supports job-training programs at technical and community colleges, helping qualify students for high-demand fields and better paying careers.”
The TECH Careers Act provides federal support for job-training programs at technical and community colleges that provide wrap-around services and apprenticeship programs for students. By creating partnerships with industry representatives, these job-training programs help students complete their technical education with well-established relationships with employers in their industry.
Rep. Quigley is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of congressional lawmakers that promotes policies that harness American ingenuity, innovation and entrepreneurship to grow our economy. Rep. Quigley is a supporter of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act and cosponsored an original part of this legislation that focused on helping businesses raise the capital needed to expand and create jobs. This legislation was signed into law by President Obama in April 2012. Last year, Rep. Quigley celebrated “Start-Up Day Across America” by meeting with leaders at Chicago-based start-up UrbanBound. Prior to that, he celebrated by meeting with entrepreneurs at 1871.