Hotline readers will remember that Gov. Greg Abbott named “expanding career training” an emergency item this session. Accordingly, Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed a permanent subcommittee to address this topic. This committee conducted its first meeting Wednesday and took up two bills, House Bill 20 and HB 120.
HB 120 by Rep. Keith Bell takes a multi-faceted approach to this very broad topic. The bill proposes:
- bolstering JROTC programs
- increasing funding for P-TECH programs
- establishing an advising program
- modifying the allowable uses of funds under the New Instructional Facilities Allotment (NIFA) to support new Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming facilities
There was broad support from testifiers for this bill, though it comes at a cost of nearly $500 million over the next two years.
In testimony, witnesses discussing HB 20 covered various aspects of career training expansion. Some testimony focused on whether charter schools should be allowed to partner with higher education institutions, while others suggested expanding the definition of CTE to include a broader range of career pathways. Lawmakers also questioned gaps in course offerings, particularly the absence of auto mechanics as a designated CTE pathway – an issue that was acknowledged as an oversight with plans for revision.
Witnesses also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on graduation requirements, highlighting accountability and tracking challenges if core academic courses were to be replaced with CTE-focused alternatives. Further discussion addressed industry certification outcomes, revealing that the most commonly issued certifications in Texas are in Microsoft Word and Floral Design, while the state continues to produce relatively few high-skilled labor graduates despite growing workforce needs.