Increase in career and technical education funding needed in Pa. | Letter

I am proud of the work that our staff at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI) have done throughout this unprecedented health crisis to ensure our students receive the same quality career and technical education and experience to help them join Pennsylvania’s workforce after graduation.

We have merged synchronous and asynchronous teaching, an extraordinary challenge considering we have nine member school districts with their own schedules sending students to LCTI and the skills we teach are taught traditionally through hands-on learning.

Our students should be commended, too, for their ability to focus and participate in these adapted means of instruction. We are working with the Lehigh Carbon Community College to provide certifications/courses for students and continue to work with local businesses to help support the local economy.

Beyond the COVID-19 crisis, Pennsylvania must make a full economic recovery and LCTI plays a major role in supporting the workforce pipeline. That is why policymakers must support a $10 million increase in career and technical education funding in the 2021-22 budget – $7 million for the CTE Subsidy line and $3 million for the Equipment Grant line in the Department of Education’s budget.

LCTI is doing its part to support the economy so that our region and Pennsylvania has the skilled workforce necessary to succeed. This is more important now than ever before, and I hope policymakers will include a $10 million increase for CTE in this year’s budget.

Tim Rushton

Executive Director of the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute

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