This new grant opportunity for educational institutions opens today, July 7.
Governor Shapiro continues to build upon three years of historic progress with continued investments in workforce development, creating more pathways to opportunity and good-paying jobs for all Pennsylvanians.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, the Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation (PennDOT) and Education (PDE) announced that a new grant program is now available to educational institutions to help grow Pennsylvania’s workforce and expand career pathways for young people in the Heavy Highway Industry (HHI).
The new competitive grant program will accept applications from July 7 through September 1 to support career pathway education, technical training, industry certification, and on-the-job learning in the highway industry for elementary, middle, high school, and college students. Eligible educational institutions will be able to use this funding to create or expand new education programs geared toward many skilled jobs in this industry such as construction inspector, mechanic, laborer, electrician, stonemason, welder, painter, cost estimator, and surveyor.
PennDOT is making up to $12 million in federal funding available for this program, with a maximum possible grant award of $500,000 per eligible applicant.
“Our schools and educational partners are preparing our future workforce, which is why the Shapiro Administration is investing in the many ways that our young people can grow a career,” PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said. “These grants will help schools start or expand programs to expose students to the trades that will continue building Pennsylvania.”
All Pennsylvania educational institutions are eligible to apply, including public school districts, private schools, cyber schools, Career & Technical Centers, Youth Development Centers, and institutions of higher learning. There are no regional or residential restrictions within the state, however an educational institution’s primary campus must be located within the state of Pennsylvania.
Applications will need to demonstrate collaboration with industry partners such as regional industry employers, organized labor or trade unions, workforce development boards, post-secondary education partners, or community-based workforce entities.
A 2025 Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) survey indicated that 92 percent of contractors are having a hard time filling open positions. Additionally, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) projects that approximately 41% of the current construction workforce will retire by 2031. There is also strong demand for more career and technical education opportunities in schools across Pennsylvania. Just in the past month, nearly 100 schools or districts contacted PennDOT about its new Heavy Highway Industry Career Day program, which will bring industry presenters and career pathway information to interested schools starting this fall.
The grant program was developed following Governor Josh Shapiro’s July 2023 executive order that created the Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program (CWTP), a first-in-the-nation job training program that provides workforce development investments to ensure companies, contractors, unions, and others who are working to build Pennsylvania’s infrastructure have the skilled workforce they need.
The program is one of the many ways the Shapiro Administration is investing in Pennsylvania workers, addressing workforce shortages across industries with real solutions, and empowering Pennsylvanians to chart their own course and access the training they need to succeed.
“Career and technical centers give students the hands-on skills they need to be competitive in the workforce,” said PDE Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe. “Investing in these programs provides more opportunities for students get a head-start on careers that are critical here in the Commonwealth.”
A Commitment to Investing in Pennsylvania’s Workforce
This grant program builds upon other historic investments in CTE. Since 2023, the Shapiro Administration has increased funding in Career and Technical Education 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. These investments have helped expand access to CTE in Pennsylvania, bringing more CTE teachers back into classrooms, providing students with state-of the art equipment and learning spaces, and better preparing students for success in the workforce.
Last year, Pennsylvania earned the top spot among all 50 states in a national study of how schools across the country are preparing middle school students for careers. To build on that success, Pennsylvania has joined a coalition of teams from Arizona, Kentucky, Washington, and Arkansas to accelerate efforts nationwide to prepare American students for success beyond high school. The coalition formed from the “Extending the Runway” report that ranked Pennsylvania with the highest possible score for middle school career exploration. Through the coalition, the Shapiro Administration is continuing to lead the way by working with Pennsylvania schools on a new career-readiness program that will put students in an advisory role, focus on hands-on learning experiences, and leverage community partnerships.
CWTP was created to expand opportunities for hands-on job training to support Pennsylvania’s workforce for critical infrastructure projects throughout the Commonwealth and is funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) or the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The initiative also ensures that participating Pennsylvanians have the tools they need to succeed by offering supportive services to assist with childcare costs, transportation and professional development.
The CTE grant program is supported by federal highway construction dollars deemed eligible for workforce development initiatives through the IIJA.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website or follow PDE on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
DOT: Alexis Campbell, alecampbel@pa.gov or Erin Waters-Trasatt, ewaterstra@pa.gov, or 717-783-8800
PDE: Casey Smith, casesmith@pa.gov
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