(The Center Square) – An Arizona lawmaker is seeking to revise the state’s high school graduation requirements in hopes to beef up technical education.
Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, is pitching that students in their junior or senior years of high school take a “statewide assessment” to demonstrate knowledge related to career and technical education.
However, exceptions to the measure would be granted for those who pass a test administered for a career and technical education program cleared by the Arizona Department of Education or “obtains an industry certification” that is cleared by the state government.
Senate Bill 1028 would require tools to be provided for the assessment during freshman and or sophomore years of high school.
The bill comes as the elected officials and the private sector in the state continue to make strides toward filling skilled worker and trade positions, as more businesses continue to move and grow in the Grand Canyon State.
The Center Square reported in November that Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity projects 486,348 jobs, many in health care and construction, will be added to the state in the next decade.
Kavanagh has “pre-filed” numerous bills ahead of the legislative session, which starts next month with an expanded Republican majority in both chambers – continuing to frequently be at odds with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who took office in Jan. 2023.
