HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania transportation and education officials are launching a school-based career program this fall to steer students toward highway construction and skilled-trade jobs as the state seeks workers for federally funded infrastructure projects.
The Heavy Highway Industry Career Day program will bring industry presenters, hands-on demonstrations and career pathway information to middle schools, high schools and career and technical centers, PennDOT said.
Schools may register to host a career day by emailing RA-PDWORKFORCEDEV@pa.gov.
The heavy highway industry includes jobs such as construction inspector, mechanic, laborer, electrician, stonemason, welder, painter, cost estimator and surveyor, according to PennDOT.
PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll said the program is part of the Shapiro administration’s effort to expand Pennsylvania’s skilled workforce.
“These Career Days are another way to build expertise and interest among the young minds that will build Pennsylvania in the future,” Carroll said.
Education Secretary Carrie Rowe said the initiative is intended to help students connect classroom learning with construction and building trades careers.
“For Pennsylvania students who see a future in the building and construction trades, these are the careers that showcase their skills, pride, and provide a pathway to a family-sustaining wage,” Rowe said.
The program was developed after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s July 2023 executive order creating the Commonwealth Workforce Transformation Program, a job-training initiative designed to support companies, contractors, unions and other groups working on infrastructure projects.
CWTP is funded through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act and is intended to expand hands-on training for critical infrastructure work across Pennsylvania. The initiative also provides support services for participants, including help with child care costs, transportation and professional development.
The Career Day program is supported by federal highway construction dollars eligible for workforce development initiatives under the infrastructure law.
Since 2023, the Shapiro administration has increased Career and Technical Education funding by $65 million, or nearly 50%, according to the state. Officials said the funding has expanded access to career and technical centers and high school-based CTE programs.
The administration said more than 3,000 additional students have enrolled in CTE and career-readiness programming since the funding increase.
Pennsylvania also ranked first among all 50 states last year in a national study of middle school career preparation, according to the administration. The state has joined Arizona, Kentucky, Washington and Arkansas in a coalition formed after the “Extending the Runway” report to expand career-readiness work, including a new Pennsylvania program that will put students in an advisory role, focus on hands-on learning and use community partnerships.
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