Gov. Youngkin wants every high school student to graduate with a credential or associate degree

 from Cardinal News by Susan Cameron (October 26, 2022)

The Governor announced the initiative in Bristol; more is expected in December.

Every student who graduates from a Virginia high school should do so with a credential or associate degree that would allow them to “immediately be prepared to go right into life,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in Bristol on Wednesday.

The governor said he plans to announce in December he is seeking a budget amendment to fund expanding the program so that a credential or associate degree is a graduation requirement.

Doing so would “change lives and opportunities,” Youngkin told Cardinal News. “So, I believe that we have both the capabilities to expand that extensively. And there’s no reason why it couldn’t be incorporated into our graduation requirements.”

Youngkin appeared at the Bristol Train Station as part of a Speaker Series co-sponsored by Cardinal News and the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. The event, which focused on economic development in Southwest Virginia, drew more than 100, including the Southwest Virginia legislative delegation and local government, education and business officials. Other co-sponsors were the United Company, and the Train Station.

Also in attendance were a group of students from Virginia High School, who were addressed by the governor several times during his remarks.

“There is such a great future ahead of you and what we want to do is work with industry and work with our higher education institutions and professional training institutions to make sure that in high school, you have a chance to explore your dreams, to try new things and if you just decide to go to college, you’ll be ready. And if you choose to go right into the workforce, you’ll have a skill that allows you to stack and build your career.”

The governor acknowledged that expanding and enhancing the current program would be a “big lift” that would require hiring additional instructors at the state’s community colleges.

A big challenge facing the state and nation is the need for more people in the workforce, according to the governor. He said the problem was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when the federal government “incentivized” employees to stay home.

 Virginia had a labor participation rate of 67 percent, but that number has slipped to 63 percent, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, Youngkin said.

He urged the VHS students to take a moment to meet some of the business leaders in the room, who might be their future employers.

“Go build a relationship today … because these folks in the room want you to come work for them. You are the scarce resource,” he said.