Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law Wednesday House Bill 265, which amends the Public School Code of 1949 to improve career and technical education (CTE) and fill open manufacturing positions.
In August, there were nearly 500,000 open manufacturing jobs nationwide, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
The bill provides for career information and recruitment by establishing a Schools-to-Work Program and education equipment grants, renaming the State Board for Vocational Education as the State Board of Career and Technical Education, transferring credits between institutions of higher education, creating a workforce development program clearinghouse and for PAsmart online career resource center, and deleting references to vocational school districts.
The bill also replaces references to “vocational-technical” and “vocational” with “career and technical.”
“Education is the key ingredient to improving our overall economy and the lives of workers who will fill these open jobs,” Reps. Seth Grove (R-Dover), whose amendment was included, said. “Instead of arbitrarily raising the minimum wage, which would harm small businesses, the well-thought initiatives laid out in this law will guide Pennsylvanians to good jobs with family-sustaining wages.”