TAMPA, Fla. — Ahead of an upcoming visit from the President of the United States, Tampa Bay Technical High School is touting its considerable success in graduating students into the region's workforce.
- President Trump visiting July 31
- Visit will highlight technical, vocational education
- Campaign rally at Florida State Fairgrounds will follow visit
Pipe welder and recent Tampa Bay Technical High School graduate Xzayvier Harden is just one of the success stories President Donald Trump will hear about when he visits the school's campus on July 31.
"This school opened a lot of doors for me," said Harden.
Harden was hired on with a construction company before graduation. He’s now working to help build the new police department in St. Petersburg.
The 18-year-old is glad the President is pushing technical education.
"I'm not a school person, so it's like, I would totally agree with him coming down here to try to influence people to get into trades," said Harden.
Administrators are set to show off the school and its successes to President Trump. Tampa Bay Technical High School boasted the highest graduation rate in Hillsborough County last year.
"It's a true testament to the fact that when you put students in programs that they really love and they're engaged in the learning process that they absolutely want to perform at their highest level and ultimately graduate," said Jeff Eakins, Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent.
The hope is those graduates will help fill the gaps in the workforce in what administrators say can lead to high-paying, high-demand jobs.
"This is the Office of the President of the United States that wants to talk about a topic that we're extremely excited about here in Hillsborough County," said Eakins. "We feel like it's a conversation that has to be had."
"We feel like this is an opportunity for all these voices to come together to really promote something that’s good for our kids," Eakins added.
"We're producing a lot of people that are coming out and making a good living graduating from tech, so that's a good thing for us," said Harden.
The president's visit will be followed by a campaign rally in Tampa at 7 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.