Missouri Senator Roy Blunt stopped by the new OTC Lebanon Aviation Center during his tour of southwest Missouri today, Aug. 22. The Lebanon Aviation Program debuted earlier this fall at the Floyd W. Jones Airport following a successful roll out of the Springfield Aviation Program in 2017. The senator offered comments standing in front of one of the OTC instructional planes where he emphasized the importance of community college degrees to support the workforce required for the twenty-first century economy.
“More than jobs, we need to focus on workers,” Sen. Blunt said. “We need to make sure we have people with the skills necessary to fill the jobs of the future.”
The senator also emphasized the importance of year-round Pell Grants. A few years ago, Blunt shepherded a bill through Congress that reinstated Pell grants for summer classes in addition to the fall and spring semesters.
“The best way to avoid student debt is to get done,” Blunt said. “Year-round Pell allows students to remain enrolled and avoid interruptions that may prevent them from completing their education.”
Besides OTC, Senator Blunt also made stops at Fort Leonard Wood, Springfield and Marshfield during his southwest Missouri tour.
