House Bill 522, part of the eight bill Career and Technical Education legislative package, was approved recently by the state House of Representatives.
The bill would establish the Career and Technical Education Investment Incentive Program and is modeled after elements of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program.
Under the bill, the program would make direct contributions to career and technical partnership organizations. The contributions could be used to improve educational programs, purchase industry-standard equipment or increase career and technical education enrollment.
“One of my top priorities has been to focus on good jobs and careers for all Pennsylvanians,” Rep. Mike Tobash (R-Schuylkill/Dauphin), the bill’s author, said. “Connecting our education system with the needs of job creators is common sense and necessary. To allow our businesses, industry and people to experience success in employment and to show economic growth, we must prepare workers by modernizing our approach to developing a high-quality, productive and evolving workforce by realigning our education, vocational and labor systems.”
The program lays the foundation for a pathway toward post-secondary learning and access to rewarding jobs, Tobash, chairman of the House Education Committee’s Subcommittee on Career and Technical Education, said.
The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.