Kaine Continues Route 58 Economic Tour With Stops In Martinsville & Hillsville

WASHINGTON, D.C.  - Continuing his five-day swing through Virginia today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine made stops in Martinsville and Hillsville, meeting with students and faculty at local schools to discuss the importance of career and technical education (CTE) in equipping students with the skills they need to find a good-paying job and compete in a global economy. Photos from his visits are available here. 

In Martinsville, Kaine toured the New College Institute (NCI), which provides students in Southern Virginia with state-of-the-art resources and high-quality training. He met with students and attended the unveiling of a new $1 million academic coater machine. As Governor, Kaine played a key role in establishing NCI.

"I visited NCI today because it is an innovator in workforce training. With the announcement of this new academic coater, NCI will be able to train students in the advanced film industry in a way they couldn’t get anywhere else in the entire world,” Kaine said. “I want to shine a spotlight on some of the innovative things happening in Southern Virginia.”

In Hillsville, Kaine met with students from Carroll County High School’s STEM lab for vocational agriculture. The STEM lab, which is the first of its kind in the nation, was made possible in part due to financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I wanted to come to Carroll County High School because I have a particular focus on career and technical education in the Senate. I heard about this unique program and I wanted to see it in action,” Kaine said. “It was fun to not only hear students talk about their technical projects, but also how working in the lab helps them with their academic coursework. Biology and Chemistry comes to life when you’re working in an agriculture group every day.”  

Later today, Kaine will visit the Vaughn Bassett Furniture Company in Galax, the largest manufacturer of wooden bedroom furniture and a major employer in the community. After touring Vaughn Bassett, Kaine will head to Pulaski to see the Pulaski Yankees take on the Elizabethton Twins and throw out the ceremonial first pitch at historic Calfee Park. 

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