A top state Democrat says Governor Bill Haslam is missing some low-hanging fruit for creating more and better jobs. Technology centers teach hands-on skills to thousands each year statewide. Haslam has said he’d like to boost spending for those schools, but their budget this year looks relatively flat.
House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh wants the state to spend an extra $15 million on new training equipment for its 27 tech centers. He says he’s heard from factories struggling to find enough welders and machinists.
“Really good jobs at various manufacturing places – and there’s just not enough equipment to train as many welders as we need. And tool-and-die-type operations for automotives are coming back, so that type of thing – because some of the equipment in the tech centers is pretty old.”
Fitzhugh is pushing to fund the upgrades as a one-time cost, in order to avoid opening a recurring hole in future budgets.
State revenues have done well in the last few months, but next year’s budget will still be tight, so Fitzhugh’s proposal (link) might not be an easy lay-up. The Senate version of the bill faces that chamber’s Education Committee Wednesday.
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Fitzhugh says overall there’s a lot to agree with in Haslam’s suggested budget. The governor’s proposal does add $3.5 million to the 2012-13 base for technology centers, bringing them to about the same level as the 2010-11 budget year.
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