Harrisburg, PA—Yesterday, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the 2024-25 state budget, which included funding for critical workforce development and career and technical education (CTE) programs. The newly approved budget includes funding increases for CTE and apprenticeships, which will help prepare our workforce for the future and drive economic growth. The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) and Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA) released the following statement.
“Lawmakers have prioritized workforce development and career and technical education in policy and funding over the past several years. There is an increased recognition that there are many pathways to good careers, and the commonwealth must support whatever path people choose to build a life and career in our commonwealth. This year’s budget makes important investments in programs that support our workforce development system and our career and technical education students and drive our economy. We look forward to discussions with lawmakers about how to continue building a robust workforce development system that serves all of our stakeholders, from students to workers to job seekers and businesses.”
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
The budget provides significant investments in CTE, including a $12.7 million increase (12%) for the CTE subsidy, boosting it to $144,138, and a $5 million increase (33%) for CTE equipment grants, ensuring state-of-the-art resources for training programs.
Throughout the budget process, PACTA advocated for increases in the subsidy and equipment grant, reaching out to lawmakers and advocating for its members.
Workforce Development
The budget provides a $2 million increase for apprenticeship training, raising the total to $12.5 million—a 19% boost. The funding will help expand hands-on training and skills development for Pennsylvania workers.
Earlier this year, PWDA and PACTA released a briefing on Pennsylvania’s “State of Apprenticeships” that the organizations developed through conversations with stakeholders and participants following the 2023 ApprenticeshipPA Collaborative & Expo. The briefing provided important insight into apprenticeships and should drive the implementation of apprenticeships and funding at the state level. The organizations will hold the 2024 ApprenticeshipPA Collaborative & Expo this fall.
There is still more to be done to support important workforce development programs. For example, despite significant budget investments, the final budget did not include the governor’s proposed funding increase for Industry Partnerships.
“We look forward to continued conversations with lawmakers so we can prioritize workforce development and career and technical education investments in the coming years. We can build the strongest workforce in the nation – right here in Pennsylvania – but we need to take a comprehensive look at our systems and ensure we are putting our money where our mouths are.”
The Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association (PWDA) serves as the voice of the Pennsylvania workforce development system and a clearinghouse for workforce development information statewide. Known for Pennsylvania’s premier annual workforce development gathering every spring, we provide development and capacity building opportunities to workforce development professionals, local workforce development boards (WDBs), and other stakeholders while continuing proactive advocacy efforts on behalf of Pennsylvania’s workforce development system. Learn more by visiting https://www.pawork.org
The Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA) strives to promote excellence in career and technical education through leadership, advocacy and service. Learn more by visiting https://pacareertech.org/.