{"id":2324962,"date":"2024-08-15T09:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T13:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/boosting-cte-education-and-the-trades-still-a-legislative-priority-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-15T10:00:26","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T14:00:26","slug":"boosting-cte-education-and-the-trades-still-a-legislative-priority-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/boosting-cte-education-and-the-trades-still-a-legislative-priority-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Boosting CTE education and the trades still a legislative priority &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fboosting-cte-education-and-the-trades-still-a-legislative-priority-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2324962&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u2064article discusses the growing emphasis on Career and Technical \u2063Education (CTE) among \u200cPennsylvania House \u200dRepublicans as students\u2064 prepare to return to \u200dschool. During a \u200cGOP Policy Committee hearing, lawmakers highlighted the need for increased funding \u2063and \u200dsupport for CTE programs to adequately prepare students for futures that do not \u2063necessarily involve\u2063 traditional college pathways. Rep. \u200cKristin Marcell emphasized\u200c the urgency of making \u2062improvements\u200c in\u200b CTE, \u2062mentioning\u200d the need for easier\u200d instructor certifications.<\/p>\n<p>Despite a boost in funding for CTE in\u2064 the state budget\u2014$144 million for the 2024-25 fiscal\u2063 year, which \u200cincludes additional equipment grants\u2014these programs still lag far behind higher education \u200dfunding. Rep. Josh Kail pointed out that existing education success metrics often steer \u200bstudents towards college, overlooking viable careers in trades \u200damidst\u2063 a \u2062workforce shortage.<\/p>\n<p>Testimonies from \u2064representatives of\u2062 the Middle Bucks \u2064Institute of Technology indicated\u200d that \u200ctheir programs successfully meet\u200b industry skill standards and are\u200c experiencing increased interest \u2063and \u200denrollment. \u2064The\u200b institute\u2019s leaders called for a balance between\u200d academic and\u2064 technical education, suggesting a shift\u200d in perceptions regarding the viability of CTE pathways.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Boosting CTE education and the trades still a legislative priority<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1730913\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &mdash;&nbsp; As schoolchildren across Pennsylvania prepare to return to the classroom, House Republicans are emphasizing the importance of career and technical education.<\/p>\n<p>As they argued during a GOP Policy Committee hearing Tuesday in Bucks County, to get young students ready for the future, more money and support needs to flow to careers that don&rsquo;t require a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/orange-county-chamber-of-commerce-event-spotlights-alternative-education\/\" title=\"Chamber of Commerce event highlights alternative education in Orange County.\">traditional college education<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Now is the time to focus on CTE and to make sure that we&rsquo;re really pressing forward so that we can meet the needs of our workforce,&rdquo; Rep, Kristin Marcell, R-Richboro, said. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s a larger urgency here that we need to be acting within the next year or two to really put emphasis on making some positive changes in this area, whether it&rsquo;s making it easier for instructor certifications or whatever it might be.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While CTE programs got a funding boost in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gavin-newsom-has-insane-budget-proposal-for-crime-infested-california-report\/\" title=\"Gavin Newsom Proposes Ambitious Budget for Crime-Ridden California - Report\">latest state budget<\/a>, they still massively trail behind higher education. CTE programs will get&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pawork.org\/2024\/07\/12\/pwda-and-pacta-highlight-key-workforce-cte-investments-in-the-state-budget\/#:~:text=seekers%20and%20businesses.%E2%80%9D-,Career%20and%20Technical%20Education%20(CTE),art%20resources%20for%20training%20programs.\">$144 million<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;in 2024-25, a $13 million increase from last year, along with a $5 million increase for equipment grants.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Josh Kail, R-Beaver, warned that how the state measures success in education pushes students toward a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-male-high-school-graduates-opting-out-of-higher-learning\/\" title=\"More male high school grads skipping college.\">traditional college route<\/a> when young people could find success elsewhere, noting a worker shortage and housing shortage across the state.<\/p>\n<p>Testifiers from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology, which trains more than 900 students and 500 adults in evening education programs, argued schools like theirs provide a viable career.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Career and technical education must serve the needs of business and industry by delivering programs that meet national skill standards and offer recognized credentials,&rdquo; MBIT Director Mark Covelle said. &ldquo;At MBIT we are seeing record interest in our school, record enrollment into our programs, and record achievement in our students.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Bob Hickey, president of MBIT&rsquo;s executive council, called for a balance between academic and CTE education.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Slowly but surely, and also thankfully, the stigma of career technical education is being erased,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>As the stigma fades, the need is great. Without more workers in the trades, Pennsylvania&rsquo;s economy feels their absence.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The need for more skilled construction labor is a significant obstacle to expanding home&nbsp;construction, improving housing inventory, and making homes more affordable,&rdquo; said Carla Zapotek, executive vice president of The Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They&rsquo;re not &lsquo;just&rsquo; blue-collar jobs. These are the jobs our country needs,&rdquo; Covelle said. &ldquo;When we said college for all,&nbsp; we may have accidentally said CTE for none.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Covelle called for &ldquo;bold action&rdquo; on CTE and noted problems like the cost of upgrading equipment with which to train students. Finding the funds for those upgrades is difficult, as is the process by which new CTE instructors get hired.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Education programs have been eliminated and or limited for someone to transition from the industry to a teacher of a CTE course,&rdquo; Zapotek said. &ldquo;In the state of Pennsylvania, there are limited options for receiving a teacher certification for CTE programs, which can take up to 8 years to receive.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1730913\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1730913\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Enhancing CTE education and trade skills remains a key legislative focus (The Center Square) \u2014 As students in Pennsylvania gear up to head back to school, House Republicans are highlighting the significance of career and technical education (CTE). During a GOP Policy Committee hearing on Tuesday in Bucks County, they stressed that increased funding and support are essential for preparing young people for careers that do not necessitate a traditional college degree. &#8220;Now is the time to prioritize CTE and ensure we are making progress to address workforce needs,&#8221; stated Rep. Kristin Marcell, R-Richboro. She emphasized the urgency of implementing positive changes within the next couple of years, whether it involves simplifying instructor certification processes or other measures.<\/p>\n<p>Although CTE programs received additional funding in the recent state budget\u2014totaling $144 million for 2024-25 with a $13 million increase from last year plus an extra $5 million for equipment grants\u2014they still lag significantly behind higher education funding. Rep. Josh Kail, R-Beaver, cautioned that current educational success metrics tend to steer students toward traditional college paths when many could thrive in alternative careers, especially given existing worker shortages and housing challenges statewide.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology (MBIT), which serves over 900 students and offers evening programs for 500 adults, argued that institutions like theirs provide valuable career opportunities. &#8220;Career and technical education must align with business needs by offering programs that meet national skill standards and provide recognized credentials,&#8221; said MBIT Director Mark Covelle. He noted unprecedented interest in their school along with record enrollment figures and student achievements.<\/p>\n<p>Bob Hickey, president of MBIT\u2019s executive council, advocated for a balance between academic learning and CTE training while acknowledging diminishing stigma surrounding vocational education: &#8220;Gradually but surely\u2014and thankfully\u2014the negative perceptions about career technical education are fading.&#8221; However, he pointed out that without more skilled workers in trades like construction, Pennsylvania&#8217;s economy suffers as it struggles with labor shortages.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The demand for skilled construction labor is a major barrier to increasing home building efforts, enhancing housing availability, and making homes more affordable,&#8221; remarked Carla Zapotek from The Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties. Covelle added that these roles should not be viewed merely as blue-collar jobs; they are essential positions needed by our country. He expressed concern over how promoting college as an option may have inadvertently sidelined CTE opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Covelle called for decisive action regarding CTE issues such as securing funds necessary for upgrading training equipment\u2014a challenging task\u2014as well as streamlining hiring processes for new instructors within these programs. Zapotek highlighted limitations within Pennsylvania regarding teacher certification pathways specifically designed for CTE courses; obtaining such certifications can take up to eight years due to restrictive policies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2324963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24037853666052.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[38212,4762,10763],"class_list":["post-2324962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cte-education","tag-legislation","tag-trades"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24037853666052.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2324962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2324962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2324963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2324962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2324962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2324962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}