Published on February 3, 2025
This proclamation declares February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month, emphasizing the administration's commitment to workforce development through vocational training and technical education programs. The action builds upon the previously enacted Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, promoting alternatives to traditional higher education while focusing on science, technology, and engineering skills to maintain American economic dominance.
While presented as a workforce empowerment initiative, this proclamation could be interpreted as an attempt to redirect working-class Americans away from traditional higher education, potentially limiting social mobility and critical thinking development in favor of technical skills that serve corporate interests. The emphasis on "America first" and dominance rhetoric, coupled with vague promises of "real skills for real careers," suggests a possible agenda to create a more controllable workforce focused on technical execution rather than broader educational development, while potentially benefiting private industry through a steady supply of specialized labor without the accompanying bargaining power that comes with higher education.
While the proclamation ostensibly promotes valuable technical education and workforce development, its underlying implications for class mobility and educational access warrant careful consideration. The public should remain vigilant about whether this initiative truly serves to empower all Americans or whether it reinforces existing social and economic hierarchies while serving corporate interests under the guise of patriotic workforce development.
Hardworking Americans are the backbone of our great Nation. Our workforce is the best in the world, and my Administration is dedicated to giving our students and workers the tools they need to succeed in a time where emerging technologies are advancing at an unprecedented pace. During Career and Technical Education Month, we reaffirm our belief in excellence by putting America first and investing in the best training and retraining opportunities that will result in a stronger workforce and a booming economy. Under my leadership, America will once again champion a culture where hard work is rewarded and equip our people with real skills for real careers that our communities are in desperate need to fill. During my first term, I proudly signed the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which provided millions of students with excellent vocational opportunities. And we saw unparalleled growth and economic development, empowering students and workers to undertake new high-wage careers, especially in science, technology, and engineering. We will make technology work for Americans, not Americans for technology. America is well-positioned at the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship, and our history of ingenuity and grit is unrivaled. Over the next 4 years, we will rebuild our economy, raise wages, and strengthen families. My Administration will invest in the next generation and expand access to high-quality career and technical education for all Americans. We will unleash the enormous potential of the American people and provide students and workers with the necessary skills training to ensure that our Nation dominates the 21st century. This February, we celebrate our incredible workers who are making America bigger, better, and more beautiful than ever before. By offering more alternatives to higher education, we will train college-aged kids in relevant skills for the 21st century economy. We will put America first, invest in our people, and lead the world into a new golden age. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2025 as Career and Technical Education Month. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisthird day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.