On Monday, July 31, Governor Josh Shapiro unveiled the Commonwealth Workforce Training Program, which he says is “the largest investment in workforce training in Pennsylvania’s history.”
According to Shapiro, “This investment is going to train Pennsylvania’s next generation of workers” and “will fund 10,000 new jobs across Pennsylvania.”
The program, created by Shapiro’s executive order signed on Monday, is touted as “first-in-the-nation job training” that will invest as much as $400 million in on-the-job training. Shapiro said that federal partners and the Biden administration were involved in its creation.
From the Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania’s Facebook posts:
We’re creating new opportunities for Pennsylvania workers by investing in on-the-job training programs, supporting apprenticeships, encouraging more people to get into the workforce, and rewarding those who maintain the highest workplace standards.
We’ve engaged unions, contractors, and the private sector to ensure it will be effective in filling workforce shortages and training the next generation of workers.
Shapiro’s Office has given a nod to unions as well, stating that “In Pennsylvania, we stand up for the union way of life. You should know this: as long as I’m Governor, our Commonwealth will never be a right to work state.”
“We have an historic opportunity to build out infrastructure that will connect communities and spur economic development,” said Josh Shapiro at a press conference on Tuesday. “We have gotten serious about our commonwealth commitment to expanding apprenticeships, vo-tech and bringing it back into the classroom.”
From WGAL‘s coverage:
Through CWTP companies, contractors and unions will be reimbursed up to $40,000 for each new employee hired and trained in Pennsylvania for projects in critical industries, which includes reimbursement for the cost of wages, payroll taxes, and training costs paid to or on behalf of new employees. The money can also be used for pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program costs, costs associated with establishing a training program and costs incurred for the use of a training facility.
Employers may also be reimbursed for supportive services that help individuals facing systemic barriers to employment to be able to participate in training and employment, including but not limited to housing, child and dependent care, work-related tools and clothing, educational testing, transportation and more.
For additional details, you can read Governor Shapiro’s press release.
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Photos courtesy of the Office of the Governor of Pennsylvania