ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) - Senator Amy Klobuchar is a major proponent for education and job creation in Minnesota, and nationwide.

Friday, she took a tour of the Career and Technical Education Center at RCTC's Heintz building to see steps the school is taking to fill open job positions.

Senator Klobuchar, along with Senator Susan Collins of Maine, introduced the American Apprenticeship Act bill back in September.

This bill provides more federal grants to states that are putting together programs, such as CTECH, to help younger people get the skills needed for open jobs.

On Friday's tour of the CTECH building, she got to see the environment in which students learn about cooking, welding, nursing, and more.

The CTECH program is a partnership between RCTC, Mayo Clinic, and RPS, which allows high school students to attend classes and get credits for their future degrees, even before graduation.

Klobuchar said this program is a great way to ensure there are students and citizens filling jobs that are available, and that there are jobs available to fit the skills students or citizens have.

Klobuchar said the idea that students in high school can get interested in the areas where jobs are actually available is key.

So, what did she think of the CTECH space?

“Very state of the art, I especially like the skeletons. Clearly, it's focused on where the jobs are. We don't have enough people in the agriculture area, there's an ag area. We need more nurses, we need more people to go in med tech and other things. And it was really fun to see and the service industry part of it, as well,” said Klobuchar.

She added that she's impressed with CTECH, as the program does a wonderful job at matching the education it is providing to students, to the job needs facing the country.

As far as the American Apprenticeship Act goes, the funding comes from the Education and the Labor Departments into the programs.

She said she hopes to get an increase in that federal funding, so more money can go into the programs.