On Friday, January 25, 2013, Indiana Governor Mike Pence paid a visit to the Porter County Career and Technical Center to tour the facility and give high praise to the students, faculty, and leadership that drive the PCCTC’s success.
A longtime supporter of career and technical education (CTE), Pence met with current students and faculty, the school board, along with a number of graduates and alumni from the PCCTC.
“Thank you for having me and the Porter County Career and Technical Center, which is a place that is talked about not only all across Northwest Indiana, but is a place that is talked about all over Indiana,” said the governor.
Pence acknowledged the job done by Jon Groth, Director of the PCCTC, along with the staff, for the success of the school.. “We are very inspired by the example we have here, particularly some of the success stories. We have been able to hear about and meet some of these extraordinary young men and women that have come through these hallways and benefited by your leadership. And I know you will be the first to admit, benefited from the outstanding faculty and staff you have here,” said Governor Pence.
“You can tell when you’re in a place where people care,” he continued.
Pence also acknowledged the President of the Valparaiso City Council Mike Baird, Indiana State Senator Ed Soliday and other leaders for bringing the governor here to see the example of what is possible through a successful CTE program.
“I truly want the State of Indiana to make career, technical, and vocational education a priority in every high school in the state,” said Pence.
The governor then discussed a desire to bring businesses and educators together in a regional sense to create an environment for students coming out of high school to be able to get good paying jobs.
“I really want to commend all of you here; the leadership, faculty, and the elected leadership here. This is an area of the state that was thinking regionally before anybody else was,” said Pence. “I think it is an idea whose time has come. Working with our partners in the general assembly, we are looking forward to giving incentives to other communities around Indiana to think regionally in this way, to do what you've done here in Porter County.”
Pence cited his passion for CTE and education from his high school education experience where many of his friends and classmates took advantage of vocational programs, and he saw the success that came from those programs.
“For me, the goal should simply be: our schools simply need to work for all of our kids. Regardless of where they start in life and regardless of where they want to start in life,” Governor Pence said. “For our young people who want to go off and get a two-year degree or four-year degree or beyond that, we want to encourage people to go to college. But for our young people who are ready to go into the workplace and continue their development there, we want our schools to work just as hard for them. Here in Porter County, at this Career and Technical Center, you all are putting that into practice.”
For more information on the Porter County Career and Technical Center, visit their website at www.pccte.org.