February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month, and it comes at the perfect time to celebrate the students, teachers and industry partners who are growing the career readiness of America’s construction workforce. 

According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, the federal government spends more than $80 billion to assist students pursuing higher education. At the same time, the federal government only spends $1.1 billion to support CTE programs that lead to high-wage careers in industries like construction. Increasing CTE availability requires more funding as well as more program support.

In partnership with hundreds of CTE programs across the country, ABC chapters and member companies help students train for a high-wage career, transform interests into marketable skills and triumph as professionals in the construction industry.

Americans are ready to rebuild our neglected infrastructure, focusing on schools, highways, bridges, dams and public transit. However, we must not neglect the big challenge ahead of us: filling a shortage of 500,000 skilled construction workers—a number that could double if the promise of a $1 trillion infrastructure bill from Washington becomes a reality.

CTE is notably effective, and we need to invest in providing more young Americans with educational opportunities that align with the careers that build and rebuild our communities.

Visit workforce.abc.org for more information.