Whereas a competitive global economy requires workers who are prepared for skilled professions; Whereas, according to Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, 84 percent of executives agree that there is a talent shortage in manufacturing in the United States, including talent for front-line worker jobs such as machinists, operators, craft workers, distributors, and technicians; Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this preamble as CTE ) ensures that competitive and skilled workers are ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields such as science, technology, engineering, art and design, mathematics, nursing, allied health, construction, information technology, energy sustainability, and many other career fields that are vital in keeping the United States competitive in the global economy; Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development, student achievement, and global competitiveness; Whereas the United States has 30,000,000 jobs providing an average income of $55,000 per year that do not require a bachelor's degree yet increasingly require some level of postsecondary education; Whereas nearly 12,000,000 students are enrolled in CTE across the country with CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, career academies, and CTE high schools, and nearly 1,600 2-year colleges; Whereas CTE matches employability skills with workforce demand and provides relevant academic and technical coursework leading to industry-recognized credentials for secondary, postsecondary, and adult learners; Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields; Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on-time