Republicans in the General Assembly are seeking to expand a popular state scholarship program.
In the weekly GOP message, state senator Brian Pettyjohn says a recent study predicted 25 million "middle skills" jobs will be created in the next few years. He says those jobs - like programmers and nurses – don’t always require a two or four-year degree. That’s why he’s introduced a bill to expand the state’s SEED scholarship to include non-college programs.
“This way, a student who graduates from a Delaware high school, but wants to go to a program like Zip Code Wilmington or the Beebe School of Nursing will have the help of the state alongside their peers who attend our two- and four-year colleges,” said Pettyjohn.
Pettyjohn says it’s a “common sense idea” and part of the GOP’s 11-point poverty agenda.
Full text of weekly GOP message:
Hi, I'm Senator Brian Pettyjohn.
As we all know, the world of work is changing rapidly. The jobs of tomorrow will be far different than the jobs of yesterday. It is important that we also acknowledge the fact that the way we prepare our young people for careers is changing as well.
There are now countless programs that provide a marketable career skill -- from our four-year colleges down to the very successful 12-week coding school, Zip Code Wilmington. One recent study predicted that 25 million "middle skills" jobs will be created in the next few years -- jobs like programmers and nurses that do not always require a two- or four-year degree.
This is why I have introduced legislation to add non-college programs to the state's SEED scholarship. This way, a student who graduates from a Delaware high school, but wants to go to a program like Zip Code Wilmington or the Beebe School of Nursing will have the help of the state alongside their peers who attend our two- and four-years colleges. This is a common-sense idea that reflects the changes in our economy, and helps our students reach their goals along the path that is best for them.
In addition, this legislation is part of our Senate Poverty Agenda, and marks another step forward in helping the least fortunate among us lift themselves out of poverty and into a better life
