Senator Kerry's education agenda has included efforts to increase school accountability, encourage competition among public schools, and provide schools the resources needed to hire and retain the best teachers.

Senator Kerry's agenda to build a skilled labor force goes beyond our formal education system. Clearly, a strong demand exists for workers with advanced technical skills--a demand that will continue for the long term despite our current economic slowdown and recent layoffs in the information technology sector. Senator Kerry has sought out and cosponsored innovative proposals to encourage partnerships between employers and employees, all with an eye to maintaining American leadership in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

One specific proposal, the Technology Education and Training Act of 2001, would provide a tax credit for businesses offering information technology training and enable individuals enrolled in certified information technology training to take advantage of the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning credits. Senator Kerry has also cosponsored efforts to extend and expand upon the tax exclusion for employer-provided education assistance. By encouraging employers to provide tuition assistance to employees, Senator Kerry believes businesses and government can work together to build a stronger workforce. Public-private partnerships, harnessing market-based solutions to public policy issues, are a key element in Senator Kerry's agenda for preserving America's leadership in the new economy.

Likewise, Senator Kerry is a strong supporter of efforts to guarantee a fair minimum wage. He is an original cosponsor of Senator Edward Kennedy's legislation to increase the minimum wage to $6.65 an hour by January 1, 2003. But while Senator Kerry supports a meaningful and fair minimum wage, he also understands the demands that poses on employers and favors combining minimum wage legislation with some tax relief for employers, particularly small businesses who are especially burdened by rising labor costs.

And while it is critical that Congress take the necessary steps to defend the interests of working families and strengthen American businesses competing in international markets and at home during periods of economic growth, Senator Kerry also recognizes the important role played by federal assistance programs during times of economic downturn. When the economic situation turned bleak following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and unemployment climbed, Senator Kerry was one of the first Members of Congress to aggressively advocate meaningful measures to aid American workers who temporarily found themselves out of work. On December 3, 2001, Senator Kerry introduced the Putting Americans First Act, legislation which would provide a short-term enhanced safety net for Americans losing their jobs by extending unemployment insurance benefits for an additional 13 weeks, allowing part-time workers to claim some unemployment benefits, and creating a new benefit to help recently displaced workers continue to afford health insurance.

In essence, Senator Kerry believes that the keys to continuing American leadership in the world economy rest not on the back of government programs but on the creative energies of American workers. With one of the most highly educated, skilled, and motivated work forces in the world, the United States has been able to take advantage of growth opportunities worldwide. The role of government in ensuring a strong and highly-skilled labor force is in facilitating education and training, promoting employer and employee partnerships, and unleashing the productive forces of a new economy.