1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Partnerships for Progress and Prosperity Act or the P3 Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) As part of their Blueprint for Action researchers at Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Pathways to Prosperity Network recommend creating programs designed to combine work and academic learning in post-secondary career preparation . In a follow-up study to the original Pathways to Prosperity published by Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in 2011, the same researchers released A Blueprint for Action in June 2014. (2) The Executive Office of Science and Technology Policy have explicitly stated a goal of strengthening America’s STEM workforce. (3) According to a study by the Manufacturing Institute, a national survey of United States manufacturing executives found that 83 percent of American manufacturers reported a moderate or severe shortage of skilled workers. (4) The American Enterprise Institute further states that, According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the percentage of manufacturing workers aged 55 to 64 and the share of workers older than 65 have both significantly increased since 2000. Moreover, they also report that the median age of the manufacturing workforce increased from 40.5 in 2000 to 44.1 in 2011. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers predicts that the shortfall of skilled factory workers could increase to 3 million jobs by 2015 due to the aging manufacturing workforce and the resulting retirements of older workers, at the same time that an anticipated manufacturing rebound will increase demand for skilled workers. . (5) The 2012 Program for International Student Assessment found the United States below the average score of participating countries in mathematics and science. Furthermore, the United States has dropped in the rankings for mathematics achievement from 25th in 2009 to 36th in 2012. (6) NAE, along with other peer reviewed publications and studies from universities around the country have examined the benefits of