Emerging Job Markets Require Innovation in Education
During his State of the State address, Governor Jim Justice touted a plan to make a student’s first year of college more accessible in West Virginia.
Justice’s proposed plan would include a $7 million to subsidize education for the state’s Community and Technical College (CTC) students. He said he wanted to find a way to make CTC’s in the state free.
Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, is eager to get to work on passing Senate Bill 284 creating the West Virginia Invests grant program, expanding access to the state’s Career and Technical Colleges. The bill would be a way to subsidize an extra year of schooling for students who wish to further their education in one of the state’s community and technical institutions.
Although the bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, some House Republicans haven’t made up their minds about the legislation.
House Majority Leader Daryl Cowles said he would be more interested in expanding the access to technical colleges, rather than giving tuition away. Cowles said he would be interested in busing students to the CTC’s in their area, allowing them the ability to earn college credit while in high school.
“I believe college is changing, it won’t just be brick and mortar buildings,” he said.
Cowles said with the ability for online classes, and busing students, there is no reason they can’t have the opportunity to expand education – but that giving it away for free might not be the best solution. Cowles would also like to hear from professors and facility at the CTC’s, he said that discussion of how to utilize the millions of dollars has not been addressed.
Carmichael said, on the Senate floor, the true path to progress is through education.
“If we properly manage our resources we can provide, essentially, scholarships to everyone – everyone – that wants to attend community and technical college, to further their education, to gain a stackable skill set, to allow them to take that trade or that education to the workforce, and to the job market, and better themselves,” he said.
Other legislation making progress includes a bill that would make for single member districts in the House of Delegates. The bill will be up for passage in the House on Monday.
