Prosperity, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Secretary Nancy A. Walker visited UMWA Career Centers, Inc. in Greene County for a ceremonial bill signing highlighting the investments made in workforce development and job training as a result of the bipartisan 2024-25 budget.
The 2024-25 budget includes a $30 million increase for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming and equipment and a $2 million increase in funding for nursing apprenticeships. Governor Shapiro has been focused on creating real opportunity for hardworking Pennsylvania workers to obtain good-paying jobs. These investments in career and technical training and vo-tech education, registered apprenticeship programs, and on-the-job training build on the critical investments made last year. Taken together, Governor Shapiro and a bipartisan group of legislators have increased funding for workforce development by $61 million in the Governor’s first two years in office – a more than 50 percent increase.
“Since my first day in office, I’ve been focused on getting stuff done for the good people of Pennsylvania — solving the most pressing problems we face and bringing people together in a bipartisan manner to deliver results,” said Governor Shapiro. “It’s fitting to be in Prosperity today, because that’s what places like this bring to our families and communities — prosperity.I’m proud of the historic investments this budget makes in career and technical education and apprenticeship programs, because those programs open the doors of economic opportunity and give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course. My Administration is showing that we value skills and experience. Every Pennsylvanian has a different path in life — and each should have the opportunity to succeed.”
Governor Shapiro visited the UMWA Career Center (UMWACC) in Greene County with labor leaders and program participants to hear firsthand what the center does and how it assists Pennsylvanians. The UMWACC was created in 1996 to provide services to dislocated coal miners and has evolved into a full-service workforce training center and has trained 22,000 workers since opening. The center focuses on providing workforce training for adults, offering a wide range of programs from mechatronics — combining mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control engineering — to cybersecurity and commercial truck driving.
“The Governor often speaks about real freedom, and the ability of each of us to chart our own course. Perhaps there is no area where this means more, or has a greater impact, than in the choices associated with the work we do,” said L&I Secretary Walker. “The Governor and I want all Pennsylvanians to have opportunities to chart a course for meaningful careers that not only change the lives of workers but change families and communities. We are investing millions of dollars in workforce development, in fields as diverse as manufacturing pre-apprenticeships to internships in video game development. This is money well spent – the Governor’s vision and the bipartisan commitment of our legislators has had a real impact and given countless Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart a new career course.”
The Governor was joined for a ceremonial bill signing by Clemmy Allen, Executive Director of UMWACC; Chuck Knisell, Vice President of UMWA Local Union 2300; Edward Helman, a program participant who is completing a course on mechatronics at UMWACC; and Greene County officials, with all of whom applauded the funding effort and goal to grow Pennsylvania’s pool of skilled trade workers.
“The Career Center has a 28-year history of serving coal miners living in the rural coal mining communities of Appalachia, as well as their families too. Since 1996, we have provided services to more than 22,000 individuals from training workers when they get dislocated from the mines to training new and incumbent miners,” said Allen. “The UMWACC was granted construction funding in a partnership with the State of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Economic Development Administration to repurpose the simulated coal mine into an adult workforce training center to help train the next generation of workers. Our Ruff Creek Training Center currently offers mechatronics training and is on track to begin a new apprenticeship program for gas well capping in partnership with the UMWA union. This will be the first apprenticeship training program for the UMWA."
“We dedicate our life to the next generation — they deserve to have an opportunity for their children to get trained, to follow a vocation, or to be involved in an apprenticeship program,” said Knisell. “We should strive to do the best we can to set up our children so they don't have to worry about their own children moving on into the future. I'd like to thank the Governor for all of his support over the years — he’s been a good friend of ours.”
“When I first found this program, I was working in a job where I wasn't really going anywhere. I saw an ad for a free class that could put me into a different line of work where I'm working with my hands,” said Helman. “This class has been nothing but hands on — it has led me moving into a new career and finding a job where I feel like I'm actually going to get ahead in life.”
The 2024-25 bipartisan budget makes investments to open doors of economic opportunity and give Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course – investing in all paths to success, from vo-tech and apprenticeship programs to college and continuing education:
- The budget includes a $30 million increase in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming and equipment and continues Governor Shapiro’s work to invest in apprenticeship programs, building on the 45 new apprenticeship programs approved since he took office in January 2023.
- After Governor Shapiro last year signed into law Act 33 establishing the $10 million Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program, which provides up to $15,000 to eligible student teachers in Pennsylvania — this budget secures an additional $10 million for student teacher stipends, doubling last year’s investment.
- This budget includes $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students allowing them to take advanced courses for college credit and chart their own course.
- This budget provides $2 million in first-time state funding for nursing apprenticeships.
For more information on how the 2024-25 budget will create opportunity for Pennsylvanians, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.
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