Shapiro-Davis Administration’s Investments in Career and Technical Education Are Helping Students Pursue High-Demand Careers and Addressing Workforce Shortages

PITTSBURGH, PA – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis met the next generation of emergency responders and health care workers during his visit today to the Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy, where the school’s career and technical education (CTE) programs are benefiting from increased state funding by the Shapiro-Davis Administration.

“Pittsburgh Westinghouse offers CTE programs that prepare students for careers in high-demand fields where we have workforce shortages, like emergency response, health care and construction,” said Davis. “These programs provide ladders of opportunity, with clear pathways to successful careers, and that’s why the Shapiro-Davis Administration has boosted funding for workforce development by nearly 50 percent over the past three years. Our new budget proposes an additional $18 million in state investments for these vital programs.”

Davis toured Pittsburgh Westinghouse today with leaders from Pittsburgh Public Schools and the American Federation of Teachers Pennsylvania. The Shapiro-Davis Administration has provided increased funding for Pittsburgh Westinghouse through the Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy, as well as a $70,000 Physical Security Grant, through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which Davis leads. That grant went toward the installation of new lighting in the school’s carpentry shop and cosmetology lab.

“Opportunities like these at Pittsburgh Westinghouse reflect our commitment to putting students first in everything we do,” said Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Wayne N. Walters. “Through our CTE programs, students are engaging in hands-on learning, earning industry-recognized credentials and accessing college-level coursework that prepares them for life after graduation. This investment strengthens our ability to ensure every student has access to high-quality experiences that connect learning to in-demand careers and meet the needs of our community and the workforce.”

Many CTE programs allow students to earn industry certifications and get paid through co-operative arrangements while still in high school, and several programs at Pittsburgh Westinghouse also allow students to earn dual enrollment college credits – at no cost – through Community College of Allegheny County.

Over the past three years, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has increased state funding for CTE, vo-tech education and apprenticeships from $118 million to $183 million. The Shapiro-Davis budget for 2026-27 proposes an increase of $18 million, bringing funding growth to more than $81 million, a nearly 70 percent increase since taking office.

“At a time when we are facing an affordability crisis, giving high school students an opportunity for work-based learning that then allows them to find an apprenticeship or full-time career immediately after graduation is invaluable,” said AFTPA President Wendy G. Coleman. “AFT Pennsylvania proudly represents educators and paraprofessionals at multiple CTE schools across the state, and we know first-hand how successful CTE programs are and how important it is that we continue to fund these programs as well as expand access to them for students.”