House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the adoption of a Republican-led amendment to empower vocational schools and strengthen collaboration with community colleges:By tapping into the valuable resources offered by the regional vocational school districts and vocational-technical programs, the House has furthered its commitment to job creation in the Commonwealth.
Initially offered by the Republican Legislative Caucus as part of our comprehensive jobs package, this amendment will further empower vocational schools while improving the collaboration between vocational schools, community colleges, and Massachusetts’ employers.
In Governor Patrick’s initial proposal, his narrow focus on community colleges did not go far enough toward utilizing the great resources our education system has to offer. However, by also focusing on vocational schools, which span all geographic regions of the state, we will ensure our commitment to job creation and skills training for all students.
This amendment, as adopted, will help produce a highly-trained and well-rounded workforce to meet the needs of Massachusetts’ employers, while helping to further stimulate the Commonwealth’s economic recovery.
