Focus on Alternative Skills Training Program Act Passes General Assembly

Senate Bill 65(S) is a bipartisan bill with lead bipartisan sponsorship from Senator Brian Pettyjohn and Representative Bill Bush that establishes the Focus on Alternative Skills Training Program (“FAST”). It passed the House 40-0-1 and the Senate 21-0.

FAST will provide tuition, up to $9,000, to Delaware residents who have graduated high school or have received their GED so that they can attend a non-degree credit certificate program. The Workforce Development Board will create a list of non-degree credit certificate programs approved for the FAST program. This will help Delawareans complete training programs in a skilled field that does not require a college degree, like a skilled trade such as electrician, plumbers, etc.

Senate Bill 65(S) Sponsors	Yes Vote	No Vote
Pettyjohn, Hocker, WIlson, Mantzavinos, Paradee, Sokola	Senate Passed 21-0. Brown Ennis Gay Hansen Lockman Mantzavinos Paradee Pinkney Poore S.McBride Sokola Sturgeon Townsend Walsh Bonini Hocker Lawson Lopez Pettyjohn Richardson Wilson
Bush, Bennett, Brady, Shupe, Briggs King, Dukes, D.Short, M.Smith, Spiegelman, Yearick	House Passed 40-0-1. Baumbach Bennett Bentz Bolden Brady Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Heffernan K.Johnson K.Williams Kowalko Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Mitchell Morrison Osienski S.Moore Schwartzkopf Wilson-Anton Briggs King Collins D.Short Dukes Gray Hensley M.Smith Morris Ramone Shupe Smyk Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick	Postles (Absent)
Current Status —	Sent to Governor

Rep. Bush: “I am pleased that SS1 to SB 65 passed the House of Representatives today and is on its way to the Governor. […] FAST will provide tuition assistance to Delaware residents who have obtained a high school diploma, diploma of alternate achievement standards, or a Delaware secondary credential and have enrolled in an approved non-degree credit certificate program.”