State Sen. Brouk pushing for more career and technical education opportunities

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — A Rochester area state senator is pushing for something in the state budget she says is crucial for the community.

Samra Brouk (D, 55) wants New York leaders to include funding for career and technical education, or CTE.

She says CTE programs provide educational opportunities for young people beyond what they can learn in school.

The goal is to fill the local workforce!

Even if they don’t pursue a CTE career after high school, Brouk said they’ll have the experience and wherewithal to either succeed through college or pursue another field.

"I’m a huge proponent of public education and I think that we really need to expand our mindset of what public education looks like," Brouk said. "A lot of us know K through 12, go to college, and so on, but the truth is there’s a lot to be said for technical education, and I’ll tell you, I’ve gone to a lot of ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings here and in the Rochester region, we’re talking about bringing good-paying jobs, and the thing I har from every employer is ‘I’ve gotta fill those jobs.’"

Recent studies from BOCES show 90% of young people enrolled in CTE programs graduate high school, compared to 84% of students statewide.

The majority of them are young women and people of color.