A West Virginia bill introduced by Ohio Valley Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke, aims to create a vocational math class to better prepare students to launch a career in the trades.

Willis is the lead sponsor of the House Bill 3055, his first since taking the oath of office Jan. 11.

“I was proud to work with my fellow Delegates on this bill to try to create a class for students interested in a career in the trades,” said Willis, who currently is a student at West Liberty University. “This will give those students the opportunity to improve their math skills in a class specifically designed for them.”

House Bill 3055 would require a math class be created as part of West Virginia’s public-school curriculum that pertains to the fields of fractions, conversion from fractions to decimals and geometry pertaining to workforce math. The class would be an option for students to take instead of Algebra II and its instructors would need to meet the same qualifications necessary to teach current public school trade classes.

“As we continue to grow as a state, we need to ensure the next generation of skilled workers are ready to go to work,” Willis said. “I’m proud that I worked to make this bill a bipartisan effort, and I’m grateful both to Delegate Geoff Foster for helping me turn my idea into a bill, and to my colleagues who were eager to put students’ needs ahead of partisanship.”

This measure was introduced Jan. 25 and referred to the Committee on Education.