Shapiro administration’s Schools-to-Work program funds 17 projects bridging CTE labs and employer pipelines across Pennsylvania
When Zimere Martin graduated from Susquehanna Township School District’s Cadet Teaching Program, she didn’t just walk away with a high school diploma. She left with real classroom experience, a summer school job offer, and a paid paraprofessional role with employer-funded schooling — a direct pathway from a CTE-aligned pre-apprenticeship into the education profession. “Participating in the Cadet Teaching Program in high school was a life-changing experience that shaped my personal and professional growth,” Martin said. “It gave me real classroom experience, strengthened my confidence and leadership skills, and confirmed that I want to pursue a career in education.”
That’s what a Schools-to-Work grant looks like when it works. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s $4.1 million investment in 17 Schools-to-Work projects across the Commonwealth is designed to make that kind of outcome less exceptional and more systematic — connecting CTE labs, pre-apprenticeship programs, and employer pipelines so that students graduate with direction, not just credentials.
The Schools-to-Work Model
The Schools-to-Work program bridges what CTE educators have long called the “last mile” — the gap between completing a CTE program and actually entering the workforce. It funds partnerships among school districts, career and technical centers, employers, workforce boards, and training providers to create clear pathways from secondary education into registered apprenticeships, postsecondary education, or direct employment.
“Schools-to-Work is about making sure students don’t just graduate with a diploma, but with direction,” said L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, we have made workforce development for young Pennsylvanians a priority because we know early exposure to real careers changes lives. These investments connect students to hands-on experience, industry credentials, and employers, while strengthening the pipeline Pennsylvania businesses depend on to grow.”
The $4.1 million round funds 17 projects across an impressive range of industries — skilled trades, healthcare, manufacturing, IT, and education. Each project aligns training with in-demand industries in its region, meaning that a student in Philadelphia can train as a certified medical assistant while a student in Fayette County can earn HVAC and sheet metal credentials. The program is 100 percent state-funded, a signal that Pennsylvania is willing to invest its own resources in the CTE-to-workforce pipeline.
Where the Money Goes: Philadelphia and Beyond
The funded projects reveal the breadth of Pennsylvania’s CTE-to-career strategy. Several Philadelphia-based organizations received grants, making this round particularly significant for the city’s CTE ecosystem:
JEVS Human Services (Philadelphia County, $249,918) — Expands Certified Medical Assistant pre-apprenticeship cohorts, directly addressing the healthcare worker shortage that has hit Philadelphia hospitals and clinics hard.
Launchpad (Philadelphia County, $250,000) — Delivers a software developer pre-apprenticeship for high school juniors and seniors, creating a tech-career on-ramp that connects to Philadelphia’s growing IT sector.
Per Scholas (Philadelphia County, $200,000) — Prepares seniors for IT support careers through school-to-apprenticeship programming, offering a pathway into an industry where employer demand consistently outpaces supply.
Philadelphia Youth Network (Philadelphia County, $250,000) — Develops a new healthcare-focused registered pre-apprenticeship, building on PYN’s existing relationships with employer partners across the city’s health systems.
Beyond Philadelphia, the grants reach into rural and suburban communities where CTE programs are equally critical:
- Farrell Area School District (Mercer County) — Construction pre-apprenticeship connecting students to electrical, plumbing, and carpentry pathways.
- Fayette County Career and Technical Institute — HVAC, plumbing, pipefitting, and sheet metal pathways with industry-recognized credentials.
- University of Pittsburgh-Titusville — Machining and CNC pre-apprenticeship certifications aligned with regional manufacturing demand.
- Lehigh Valley Hospital — Allied health career pathways through Health Care Futures programming.
- Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology — Automation and instrumentation pre-apprenticeship linked to mechatronics.
- Industrial Arts Workshop (Allegheny County) — Welding pathways aligned with industry standards.
- Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (Montgomery County) — Co-op and work-based learning connected to skilled trades pathways.
Each grant represents a direct connection between a CTE program and an employer need. That’s the model CTE advocates have been pushing for years: don’t just train students and hope they find jobs — build the employer relationship into the training itself.
The Shapiro Administration’s Workforce Record
The Schools-to-Work investment is part of a broader workforce development strategy that has produced measurable results since January 2023. The Shapiro administration’s record includes:
- $65 million increase in funding for vo-tech, CTE, and apprenticeships — a 50 percent increase over three years
- 231 new apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs registered
- 17,947 new apprentices enrolled during the administration
- 39,475 Pennsylvanians have participated in registered apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs
- 22,400+ good-paying jobs created statewide
- $40.4 billion in private-sector investment attracted to Pennsylvania
The 2026-27 budget plan proposes to accelerate this trajectory: an additional $18 million for vo-tech, CTE, and apprenticeships; doubled Schools-to-Work funding to $7 million; $3.5 million in increased Industry Partnership grants; and a dedicated $12.5 million appropriation for WEDnetPA to train workers and strengthen employers.
The CTE Pre-Apprenticeship Connection
For CTE program directors, the Schools-to-Work model represents something structurally important: a state-funded bridge between secondary CTE and registered apprenticeship. Traditionally, CTE completers face a gap between their high school credentials and apprenticeship entry requirements. They may have the foundational skills but lack the specific certifications or employer connections needed to enter a registered program.
Schools-to-Work grants close that gap by funding pre-apprenticeship programs that are explicitly aligned with registered apprenticeship entry requirements. When Susquehanna Township School District launched its PATH-Ed (Preparing Aspiring Teachers for Higher Education) registered pre-apprenticeship with a $236,226 grant, it built directly on the district’s existing Cadet Teaching Program. Students like Cole Hunsberger, who currently participates in the program, get hands-on classroom experience while still in high school.
“I have had an entirely positive experience in the Cadet Teaching Program, and the skills I have learned will continue to prepare me for a career in education,” Hunsberger said. “Through the program, I have had the chance to teach a full class, work with small groups, and provide one-on-one support, while also observing effective classroom management and practicing those strategies myself.”
That’s the pre-apprenticeship model working as designed: a CTE student developing real-world skills under employer supervision, earning credentials that articulate into a registered apprenticeship or postsecondary program. The Schools-to-Work grant made it possible to formalize that pathway and connect it to state workforce systems.
What This Means for Philadelphia CTE
For Philadelphia’s CTE ecosystem, the Schools-to-Work grants represent an opportunity to strengthen the connection between the School District’s 40+ CTE programs and the city’s employer base. The grants to JEVS Human Services, Launchpad, Per Scholas, and Philadelphia Youth Network specifically target healthcare and IT — two of the highest-demand sectors in the Philadelphia labor market.
The Philadelphia Youth Network’s healthcare-focused pre-apprenticeship is particularly significant. Philadelphia’s health systems — Jefferson Health, Penn Medicine, Temple Health, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — employ tens of thousands of workers and consistently report shortages in clinical support roles. A registered pre-apprenticeship that connects CTE health science students to those employers, with state funding supporting the infrastructure, is exactly the kind of pipeline CTE programs need.
Similarly, Launchpad’s software developer pre-apprenticeship and Per Scholas’s IT support programming create direct pathways from Philadelphia’s CTE IT programs into the city’s growing tech sector. These aren’t abstract computer science courses — they’re employer-aligned training programs designed to produce completers who can step into paying jobs.
The Policy Lesson
The Schools-to-Work program offers a policy lesson that extends beyond Pennsylvania: when state government invests directly in the CTE-to-workforce pipeline, the results are measurable. Over the Shapiro administration’s tenure, 52 programs statewide and 2,295 students have been supported by Schools-to-Work funding. The proposed doubling to $7 million in the 2026-27 budget would expand that reach significantly.
For CTE advocates, the message is clear: the pipeline works when it’s funded. The question is whether other states will follow Pennsylvania’s lead in treating CTE-to-workforce connections as core infrastructure, not optional programming. As Secretary Walker put it, “These investments connect students to hands-on experience, industry credentials, and employers, while strengthening the pipeline Pennsylvania businesses depend on to grow.”
That’s the CTE value proposition — finally backed by the funding it deserves.
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Originally reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry | PhillyCTE
