Senate President Bill Cole announced his candidacy for the 2016 West Virginia governor race last month. Since then he has hit the ground running, in terms of discussing his platform.

Cole has said that he intends to unite universities like Marshall with the State Government in order to improve the college going rate and business climate in West Virginia.

“Our flagship universities are critical to our states success going forward,” Cole said. “I will look for opportunities for working between the universities and state government.”

Moving forward Cole said he believes that best way to improve the sate is to invest in the people and provide an environment that allows them to grow and share knowledge.

“Most importantly we need to invest in and put faith in our people,” Cole said. “We need public schools and technical schools and colleges and universities that can create a skilled workforce that includes entrepreneurs and highly trained professions. “

By training our people it allows them in turn to give back to the state instead of seeking help from others, Cole said.

“We need our college campuses to serve as centers for creativity and innovation so that we can create jobs of our own and not rely solely on others from outside the state. “

The Senator continued to press how important it is to train teachers so they cant train West Virginia students in a way that work for them.

“We need to invest in our teachers and in our classrooms,” Cole Said. “We need to develop our own West Virginia college and career ready standards. The days of being virtually last in student achievement must and will come to an end.”

Cole said he is ready to his best to insure that west Virginians no longer have to leave the state to pursue their dreams.

“I’m going to work my level best to make sure there are opportunities for them to stay here and make their future in this state and raise their families in this state,” Cole said.  “I want that more than anything in the world. I’m tired of our kids having to leave to go find their successes somewhere else.

The Senator said education reform is just one of his main priorities if elected to the Governor seat.

“To me West Virginia is worth the investment, worth the fight. I want to put myself in a position to help the state.”

Britanie Morgan can be contacted at  [email protected]u