Bill Introduced To Require Rhode Island High Schools To Offer Vocational Training

PROVIDENCE, RI — A bill was introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly that if passed, would require public high schools to provide technical and vocational training such as welding, pre-engineering or cosmetology.

State. Rep. Enrique Sanchez (D-Providence), introduced the bill (2023 H-5343) on Friday.

"We have thousands of students going through our public schools who don’t have access to any technical or vocational training," Sanchez said. "They graduate high school with no practical skills. We need to be real; not everyone needs to go to college and there are lots of good paying jobs out there like carpentry, commercial baking or plumbing that don’t require a degree. We should be offering better skills to our youth."

Sanchez said the Rhode Island Department of Education does not currently require any technical or vocational training. Out of the eight public high schools in Providence, just one (Providence Career and Technical Academy) offers any technical and vocational training.

Sanchez said the bill compliments other legislation (2023 H-5251) he introduced that would require all public high schools in Rhode Island to provide students with nutrition, food preparation and cooking courses annually.

"I've worked in the classroom with students," Sanchez said. "We need to change the whole way we think about education. Students should be learning the life skills they need to thrive. That means teaching nutrition, personal finance and civics. And it means teaching them skills they can use to have meaningful careers."