WASHINGTON CO. RESPONDS TO NEW PROPOSED VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN BRAZOS COUNTY

  

Washington County officials are responding to a committee proposing the creation of a new vocational school in Bryan/College Station.

The Research Valley Partnership's Talent Pipeline Steering Committee has been looking into whether or not enough students are being trained for certain jobs like construction, welding and mechanic work in the Brazos Valley. The issue of a proposed new vocational college was brought up during a political candidate forum in College Station Monday night.

Washington County Judge John Brieden says he doesn’t see the need for a new vocational school with the Brenham-based Blinn College campus in Bryan:

Judge Brieden says the growth of the partnership between Blinn and Texas A&M is emphasized by the invitation for Blinn to build a facility at the new RELLIS campus.

If the Talent Pipeline Steering Committee receives clearance from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, residents in Brazos County could vote to approve a new taxing district that would help fund the proposed vocational school. The board is expected to hold hearings on the issue in early 2017.

Judge Brieden went on to say that the proposal of a new vocational school is being pushed by a small group of people:

Blinn College  offers training programs for 28 of the 34 occupations (83%) identified in the Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley Targeted Occupations for Fiscal Year 2017, including training for all seven Targeted Occupations with an hourly wage of $30 or more.