1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support the bipartisan Honoring Vocational Education Act, introduced by Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. This legislation addresses a critical gap in federal workforce data by ensuring that workers with vocational training, technical certifications, and apprenticeships are properly counted and valued. Currently, federal workforce measurements fail to capture the full scope of skilled workers who have pursued trade schools, union apprenticeships, and technical pathways rather than traditional four-year degrees. This data gap has real consequences. When workforce planning excludes welders, electricians, machinists, and advanced technicians, federal investment and economic planning suffer. These workers are essential to our economy and national supply chains, yet they remain invisible in the statistics that drive policy decisions. The Honoring Vocational Education Act builds on the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which created the National Training, Education, and Workforce Survey. NTEWS tracks education and training for skilled workers, including vocational certificates, licenses, and work-related credentials. The survey is currently in a pilot phase and released its first report in 2025. This legislation would make NTEWS permanent by requiring it to be conducted and publicly released every two years. Establishing regular data collection through this bill ensures that skilled tradespeople continue to be counted in labor market research. The information gathered can inform other federal surveys, including those used by the U.S. Census Bureau, creating a more accurate picture of our workforce. This approach is practical because it strengthens an existing survey already collecting this data rather than creating new bureaucracy. Workers who choose vocational and technical pathways deserve recognition in federal data. Their contributions to our communities and economy should be measured and valued. I respectfully ask that you cosponsor and vote in favor of the Honoring Vocational Education Act.