(TRENTON) – Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen) released the following statement Wednesday after Gov. Christie signed five of his bills to improve vocational education into law (A-3334-3335-3337-3338-3339) but vetoed two of them (A-3340 and A3341):
“I’m pleased the governor signed five of the bills into law. This is a key step toward a more sensible and stronger vocational educational system in New Jersey. We had to make clear that there are many well-paying careers that can be launched with an industry credential or an associate’s degree.
“As we continue to work to revitalize our economy, employers will look to county vocational-technical schools to meet this need, and we cannot rest idle while businesses and jobs change and the global economy becomes more competitive.
“These bills will make sure our students are ready to go.
“But I’m also disappointed the governor vetoed two of the bills. While those bills contain costs, we have to prioritize spending. This is all about jobs and a stronger economy, so we needed to take steps such as these to ensure our state is at the cutting edge of educational offerings.
“This issue remains important to me and I will continue to work on finding ways to improving the vocational education system as we build a better future for New Jersey.”