Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq today announced that 42 schools will share $1.7 million in funding for the purchase of equipment for career and technical education programs.
‘This funding will allow these schools to acquire new, state-of-the-art equipment for students to train for the jobs of tomorrow,’ Dumaresq said. ‘Governor Corbett believes that providing students with access to high-quality resources will ensure their competitiveness with their peers in the local, national and global workforce.’
As a competitive grant, the Career and Technical Education Equipment Grant program provides funding for schools to purchase equipment that meets industry standards. Funding must be used to purchase equipment for the purpose of training students in approved career and technical education programs, which must align with the following Pennsylvania targeted industry cluster areas:
*Advanced Materials and Diversified Manufacturing
*Agriculture and Food Production
*Bio-Medical Industry*Building and Construction
*Business and Financial Services
*Energy Industry*Health Care*Information and Communication Services
*Logistics and Transportation*Lumber Wood and Paper
The department received 51 applications from school districts and career and technical centers across the state. Each proposal was reviewed and scored based on the program’s plan to integrate new equipment into its curriculum as well as a professional development plan to ensure instructors know how to use the new equipment.
‘Pennsylvania’s employers require their employees to have the skills to meet the demands of the business community,’ Dumaresq said. ‘This investment will ensure that students have a hands-on learning experience that will benefit them in their chosen career.’
From the Department of Education.
