2.7.25 – KEYE – AUSTIN, Texas
Governor Greg Abbott is advocating for increased career training in Texas schools to better prepare students for the workforce immediately after high school.
In his recent State of the State address, Abbott emphasized the importance of trade jobs, highlighting careers such as welding, plumbing, and electrical work as some of the most in-demand positions.
“That’s why I am making life-changing career training an emergency item,” Abbott said, underscoring his commitment to building the Texas workforce through trade jobs.
Nicholas Odom, the education manager for the trade program at the Universal Technical Institute in Austin, expressed strong support for the governor’s initiative.
“I think it’s a beautiful move,” Odom said. “Personally I believe that the skilled trades in this nation, skilled trades in this state are something that’s so desperately needed.”
He noted the growing need for skilled labor in Central Texas due to ongoing construction projects.
“You’re seeing those spaces needing to be filled by somebody with a skill set,” he added.
The Universal Technical Institute offers an interactive job board to help students find trade jobs across the state, a feature Odom said they are “so proud of.”
Despite Abbott’s push, not everyone agrees with the approach. Texas A&M University Systems Chancellor John Sharp voiced skepticism, suggesting that training should align with community needs.
“You want HVAC training, and the community says, we don’t need HVAC training. We need something else,” Sharp said.
Abbott, however, remains firm in his belief that expanding career training in schools is vital to education and success.
Over the past two years, his office has awarded more than $15 million to support career training for high-demand industries.
“Vital to education is expanding career opportunities. That includes expanding career training in our schools,” Abbott said.
Odom says the majority of the students at the institute have come right out of high school, and noted the successes of those programs.
“I think here in Central Texas, I would say that we’re fortunate in that there is a lot of CTE programs, there’s a lot of high school training around the trades, which doesn’t exist in all states,” he said.
The institute says it takes about a year and a half to complete training for the various courses it offers.