1954-1972

Dr. Charles V. Wright. president of East Central, who has earned and merited pride in the technical centers, says that there are at presence more skilled jobs available than there are trained work– ers to fill them. But courses in the new centers will turn out in 9 to 24 months skilled welders, drafters, elect– ricians, automechanics, those qualified to repair radio and television and air condit– ioners and refrigerators, as well as those who have com– pleted intensive business courses involving the latest automated equipment. Some of these courses are certificate programs, some are degree programs, but all • certlJy to_the...oew image of. vOOltfciiir eaucatton. · ~ vocational students take re– quired supporting courses, and others will elect to take non-related courses leading to a degree. In this pro– cedure the vocational students will be qualified to make a living and to live. The two goals are inextricably entwin– ed. The huge building program began in planning as far back as 1966, and constructioo be– gan in September, 1967. The monies for such a gigantic project came from state and district matching funds, augemented by federal tunds under the 1965 Federal Matching Grant Act that is a continuation of the 1963 Vocational Education Act of Congress. The national Vo– cational Education program made federal funds available and at the same time pulled up local and state spending for education allowed by Mis– sisssippi Legislature. There are vast spendings in addition to the actual buildings, \jith about $34,000." in paving surrounding the Vo– cational Technical Center,$2, 000 in outside lighting, and hundreds of thousands of dol– lars in state-owned technl– (CONTINUED-ON PAGE TWO)

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