An additional $800,000 may become available to school districts in 2008 for improving career and technical education partnerships with Wyoming businesses and industries.

A draft bill passed by the Joint Education Interim committee on Wednesday modifies a current grant program with a two-year budget of $500,000 for career and technical education.

The additional money would bring the program's total to $1.3 million that would be available to the state department of education and school districts every two years.

The bill is part of the state's plan to implement a strategic plan for creating more career and technical education for students.

Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, said the bill targets three important areas: the need for a skilled and educated technical work force, the state's high drop-out rate and encouraging high quality technical programs.

Currently, the majority of jobs available across Wyoming are skilled labor positions.

"Statistics have shown career and technical courses are one tool to use to keep students engaged," Wallis said.

The bill also set aside money for the state to set up a steering committee that would guide the creation of program curriculum, and leaves funds for contracting with experts in career and technical fields.

Wallis said having high quality technical programs is important, even though those programs cost much more than the traditional school courses.

"But the value gained is also even more than that," Wallis said.

Under the bill, school districts would have the options of setting up partnerships with each other, community colleges and the University of Wyoming to create programs promoting career and technical education.

The partnerships would serve as sort of a preparation for students, teaching them beginning skills that would move them into post-secondary training and education, said Teri Wigert, the director of Wyoming Department of Education's technology, careers and data unit.

"These partnerships have to fulfill Wyoming business and economic needs," Wigert said. "We're not going to create a program with components x, y and z if Wyoming's economy doesn't need those components x, y and z."