Proposed West Virginia Senate bill pushes technical education

Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, is sponsoring SB 284, which is modeled after a similar program in Tennessee. The bill would allow for the state to pay “the last dollar in” on tuition costs for students in state technical colleges who are enrolled in two-year and certificate programs. The grants would be available for careers which “satisfy a workforce need,” according to language in the bill. Those areas of need are determined by the state Department of Commerce.

“We seem to put a heavy emphasis on four-year institutions,” Carmichael said Thursday. “There are so many jobs available for those with technical skills. We haven’t given those programs the proper emphasis.”