LaValle to Community Colleges: Allow Greater Access to Vocational Training to Prevent Failure, Frustration and Students’ Dropping Out.

New York State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, chair of the State Senate’s Higher Education Committee, said today that the State’s Community Colleges need to better identify which students are better suited for a vocational rather than an academic track which would save students’ money and time and ensure their continued enrollment and eventual graduation.

“Our community colleges need to provide greater access to vocational training,” Senator LaValle said, “which in turn would prevent students who are currently in remedial courses and failing, the opportunity to pursue a course of study more suited to them.”

“SUNY spends more than $70 million a year to offer re­me­dial cours­es in ar­eas students should have mas­tered in high school,” LaValle said,   “We spend more on remediation than SUNY's eight agri­cul­ture and technology schools receive in state funding each year. And students don't get academic credit for remedial coursework, which can lengthen the time it takes for them to earn a degree and start a career. “

“Students, “ LaValle said, “should be able to succeed and enter a vocation that enables them to graduate debt free, be successful and earn a living wage.”