On April 15, 2026, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Deputy Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) Amy Lena highlighted the importance of investing in career and technical education (CTE) and how those investments are expanding access to CTE in Pennsylvania schools and have helped 3,000 additional students across the Commonwealth enroll in CTE classes.

Since 2023, the Shapiro Administration has increased funding in CTE by $65 million – nearly 50 percent – helping to expand access for students, not only in career and technical centers (CTCs), but also through CTE programs right in their high schools. As a result, CTE enrollment has continued to grow under the administration, with more than 3,000 additional students engaging in CTE and career readiness programming.

An example of the effective use of this funding is Williamsport Area High School. The school offers 15 different CTE programs, including an Educator Rising program which was created under with the use of such funding in 2023 to engage and prepare secondary students interested in pursuing a career in education. At Williamsport, the program is designed for students who aspire to become educators, and provides a comprehensive foundation in teaching and learning through coursework such as Methods in Education, Developmental Psychology, Educational Technology, Neuroscience in Education, and more. The district also offers a Classroom Management Simulator for current educators and staff in the district, allowing them to practice management techniques and instructional strategies through six different scenarios they may encounter in the classroom.

Subsequently, during the 2024-25 budget cycle, Williamsport Area School District (WASD) was able to use more than $700,000 in adequacy funding to continue expanding and establishing CTE programs in their high school, including a state-of-the-art $3 million welding lab.

For more on how (WASD) has enhanced CTE programming, click here.