OP-ED: EAST TEXAS SHORT-TERM TRAINING SHOULD END WITH A SAFETY TEST
By Gleb Tsipursky, PhD
On September 22, the U.S. Department of Education approved new Workforce Pell programs in Texas, including short-term options at Kilgore College for electrical power line work, phlebotomy and pharmacy technology. For East Texas residents, this can open a faster route into skilled work.
A short program must make every hour of practical training count. Graduates should demonstrate how they handle plausible but incorrect digital instructions. In a pharmacy exercise, a student might catch a dosage mismatch in a simulated AI-generated order. In phlebotomy, the trainee might notice a patient-label mismatch before collection. In line work, an apprentice might flag a digital work order that conflicts with visible site conditions.
These are proposed test scenarios rather than claims of actual errors. The point is to develop verification and escalation habits before workers face real consequences.
Kilgore College and its employer partners should publish aggregate accuracy on these skill checks alongside completion and placement. For Gilmer and Upshur County families weighing the cost and speed of training, proven competence matters more than a certificate’s impressive name.
Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, a behavioral scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results (Georgetown University Press, 2026) https://
