Bill Text: VA HJR475 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day; designating as 4th Wed. in April 2023.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-14 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ475ER) [HJR475 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2023-HJR475-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, school systems throughout the Commonwealth are committed to ensuring that students are enrolled in a two-year or four-year college, enlisted in the military, or employed when they graduate from high school; and
WHEREAS, career and technical education programs provide an alternative to two-year or four-year colleges, and millions of American students are currently enrolled in such programs; and
WHEREAS, career and technical education (CTE) courses allow students to directly enter the workforce or post-secondary training connected to workforce development through apprenticeship in a variety of occupational fields, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, information technology, and health science; and
WHEREAS, in addition to gaining specific career-related knowledge, participants in CTE programs learn essential skills like time management, problem solving, and critical thinking to help them prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the workplace; and
WHEREAS, CTE programs motivate and engage students by providing hands-on activities in which they can further their expertise and interact with community members, potential employers, and students and teachers who share their vocational interests; and
WHEREAS, similar to the signing day celebrations that are held when young athletes declare which college they will attend, CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day recognizes the same important commitment made by career and technical education students; and
WHEREAS, CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day creates an opportunity for businesses to engage directly with students and provide essential information on training requirements and expectations, as well as employment benefits and compensation; and
WHEREAS, Henrico County Public Schools has already started CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day in 2018, which it continued in 2019, 2021, and 2022, gaining national attention by being featured on CNN Headline News, Fox News, and Today.com, and earning first place among large Virginia school divisions in the 2019 Excellence in Workforce Readiness Awards for its CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day program; and
WHEREAS, school systems throughout the Commonwealth are encouraged to develop their own public CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day events, where parents, teachers, friends, and members of the media can observe students and employer sponsors signing letters of intent; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate the fourth Wednesday in April, in 2023 and in each succeeding year, as Career and Technical Education Letter of Intent Signing Day in Virginia; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit a copy of this resolution to the Virginia Association of Career and Technical Education so that members of the organization may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia in this matter; and, be it
RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly's website.
