Kaine Wants Technical Education Off the Back Burner

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine grew up working in his father's Kansas City welding and iron working shop. So he's the first to admit he has a personal interest in promoting technical training for Virginia's work force. Kaine visited New Horizons Regional Education Center Wednesday morning as part of his Cabinet Community Day. … Joe Johnson, executive director of New Horizons, said the new academy's initial focus on engineering technology addresses a need in the local work force. Kaine and Johnson want to get information on the available training and career possibilities out to students starting at the seventh grade level. "We are in the process this year of having a $500,000 renovation to create a robotics and fiber optics lab," Johnson said. "The pathway also will go from the high school to the community college to the Apprentice School and to Old Dominion University, all of which offer programs in mechanical and electrical engineering."