Somerset, PA – Today, students at the Somerset County Technology Center (SCTC) taught Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe how to inspect a Piper Comanche PA-24 airplane – the foundation of skills they’re learning in their Career and Technical Education (CTE) program designed to prepare students for high-demand jobs in aircraft maintenance.
Launched in 2025, SCTC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program currently enrolls 16 students who could take their skills directly into the workforce after high school or leverage them into post-secondary education toward becoming an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. Boeing estimated in a recent report that the global aviation industry will need 728,000 new maintenance technicians over the next 20 years.
“Career and Technical Education has been around for many decades, but the programs are always changing to be responsive to the current workforce needs in Pennsylvania. Programs like the Aviation Maintenance Technology program give today’s students real insights into the jobs of tomorrow – so they can decide what career pathway fits their goals, passions and talents,” Secretary Rowe said. “No matter what they choose to do after high school, these students are learning skills that could benefit them for a lifetime.”
CTE prepares high school students for success after high school by giving them a head start on building in-demand skillsets and exploring potential career pathways – whether that path leads to higher education or directly into the workforce. Governor Josh Shapiro has advocated for an expansion of CTE across Pennsylvania as part of his Administration’s focus on uplifting all Pennsylvanians in their pursuit of success, opportunity and family-sustaining jobs.
The 2026-27 budget builds on Governor Shapiro’s work to expand our workforce, increasing funding for CTE by another $10 million, bringing the total spent on workforce development initiatives to $193 million – a 60 percent increase compared to before Governor Shapiro took office. These investments will enable schools to prepare learners for high-tech, high-demand careers, and fill critical workforce gaps.
In just the Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy alone, funding has increased by $25 million since 2023-24. The result has been nearly 4,000 more students enrolling in CTE courses, and expansion of Pennsylvania’s apprenticeship opportunities through the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), which has approved more than 284 new registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs – many of which are offered through CTE courses in Pennsylvania schools.
Secretary Rowe also met with SCTC’s Forestry Technology Program students, who taught the Secretary how to measure a tree and safely convert logs into lumber. Since 1976, the program has prepared hundreds of students for careers as sawmill workers, loggers, arborists, landscapers, heavy equipment operators, conservation workers and more. The program leads to jobs with private employers as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. View photos from the event here.
“At SCTC, innovation is constant. We continue to evolve our program offerings, blending new and emerging opportunities with the traditional programs that have long prepared students for success,” said Matt Danel, Director of the Somerset County Technology Center.
There are more than 80 Career and Technology Centers (CTCs) across Pennsylvania – and even more CTE programs offered in more than 150 high school buildings in many of Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts, providing PDE-approved programs to thousands of students each school year. These programs – more than 1,800 offered to high school students across Pennsylvania -- are built on foundations of academic rigor and high expectations for student learning and success and give students the opportunity to earn college credit and participate in Advanced Placement or Honors courses while working toward CTE credentials.
“Our goal is to give students the skills, and experience they need to pursue a variety of pathways, continuing their education, entering the aviation industry, or any other technical career,” said Josh Dibert, Director of SCTC’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program.
Recent updates to the School Code signed into law by Governor Shapiro provide new flexibility for CTE students by allowing them to complete their end-of-program assessments before their 12th-grade year. Previously, students were required to take these competency exams in 12th grade; now they may complete them earlier.
This change empowers students to earn a credential in more than one CTE program before graduation and enables school districts and CTCs to organize schedules and facilities in ways that accommodate more students.