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Roger Williams says trade schools are 'booming' and urges clearer costs, workforce focus
Summary
Rep. Roger Williams, chair of the Small Business Committee, told a radio interview that trade schools in Texas are expanding, citing a claimed 100,000 ninth-grade dropouts and a recent jobs report; he urged clearer cost comparisons with four-year colleges to reduce student debt and meet demand for skilled trades.
Rep. Roger Williams, chair of the Small Business Committee, said trade schools in Texas are expanding and offered them as an alternative to costly four‑year degrees.
"The trade schools offer an opportunity for [students] to get to school, get a degree, not have some bad student debt and to start a business," Williams said. He framed vocational education as a pathway to immediate employment in occupations including plumbing, welding, carpentry and auto repair.
Williams cited what he described as a sharp education and workforce challenge in Texas. "We've got a 100,000 kids a year dropping out of ninth grade in…
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