Governor Greg Abbott has signed two new bills into law, aimed at growing career and technical programs statewide, including at Waco ISD.
WACO, Texas — A major investment in the future of Texas students has gained momentum across the state and particularly here in Central Texas.
Governor Greg Abbott signed two new bills into law last week aimed at growing career and technical programs statewide.
“This is all about them, it’s about their future,” Governor Greg Abbott said.
Career and Technical Education is getting a serious boost in Texas, and for students in Waco ISD, that means more options, more opportunity and a clearer path to a successful future.
“Not every student is a four-year college student, we know that,” Dean of Greater Waco Academies Angie Fetsko said. “The workforce in all areas is desperate for employees. Here in the Waco area, we can really utilize these kids right here.”
Waco ISD currently offers a variety of programs. With the opening of the new Waco high school, the district is also expanding its culinary program, while continuing strong partnerships through the Greater Waco Advanced Healthcare and Manufacturing Academies, GWACHA and GWAMAH.
“We know those are two large industries in the Waco Central Texas area that employ a large number of people,” Fetsko said. “So we’re always excited to have new opportunities for our students, but the goal is to keep them right here in their hometown, growing our own community.”
Governor Greg Abbott says the state has already invested more than $7 billion in career training over the past two years, with millions more to come through grants and targeted programs in high-demand fields like welding, cybersecurity, aerospace and HVAC.
“The reality is career training is a game changer for our students, for our state, for our employers, and it may alter the arc of the future of the students behind me, definitely of all the students who lean into career training and want to rely upon that for part of the future,” Abbott said.
Governor Abbott says these initiatives not only prepare students for success, but also strengthen Texas’s status as a national economic leader. For more information on all of the career and technical programs Waco ISD offers, click here.