The saying “industry follows brainpower” takes on significance as the Brookshire and Pattison areas continue to grow. That industry includes career and technical vocations, and the Royal Independent School District offers students many options in those fields, a district official said Tuesday.

Nick Gonzales is a career and technology education teacher at Royal High School in Brookshire. He spoke at a West I-10 Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Hangar of Brookshire, 4010 4^th St.

One key to having good people leading a program is practical experience. Gonzales said the instructor who leads the machine and welding program is himself a 2011 Royal High School graduate. Gonzales said the instructor went into the workforce and got several years of experience before returning to teach.

“It’s tough to find good people to run this, and we’re blessed to have that,” Gonzales said.

The district offers various vocational training programs, including cosmetology. Gonzales said he was a patron or customer for Royal students learning how to cut hair.

The district’s animal science program draws interest from students. It enables students to care for cats and dogs. The training enabled students to become a vet tech, which Gonzales said was a stepping-stone to becoming a full-fledged veterinarian.

The district offers Microsoft Office certifications for all Office applications. It offers Google Professional certifications, CompTIA A+ and Security + certifications. It offers Apple Final Cut Pro X and Adobe certifications on various levels.