Pittsburgh Westinghouse showcases CTE pathways as state, labor leaders tout funding and apprenticeships
Loading...
Summary
State and labor leaders joined Pittsburgh Public Schools at Westinghouse Academy to highlight career and technical education programs, new apprenticeship pipelines and state funding proposals intended to expand equipment, facilities and job pathways for students.
Dr. Wayne Walters, superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, opened a showcase of career and technical education programs at Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy on Thursday, welcoming Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, Sen. Lindsey Williams and local union and school leaders to hear students describe hands-on training and job opportunities.
The event gathered district leaders, labor representatives and employers to underline the role CTE programs play in connecting students to apprenticeship and employment pathways. Angela Mike, executive director of CTE for Pittsburgh Public Schools, said the district runs 17 CTE programs across six high schools, serves roughly 600 students in multi-year CTE pathways and provides CTE electives to more than 4,000 students annually. She also noted the district is already meeting a forthcoming 2027 state personal-finance course requirement.
"Opportunities like those you will see today at Westinghouse reflect our commitment to putting students first always," Walters said, citing industry partnerships and college-credit pathways that prepare students for work after graduation.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said the administration has directed grant funding and is seeking larger budget increases for CTE. "We've driven, over $200,000, in grants, specifically here to Westinghouse, for school mental-health initiatives," he said, and later characterized the administration's budget proposal as an "80% increase" that would bring total CTE funding to about $81 million if approved.
Sen. Lindsey Williams, minority chair of the Senate Education Committee, said state lawmakers are working to steer more money toward CTE facilities and equipment, and Wendy Coleman, president of AFT Pennsylvania, praised the programs and encouraged broader access statewide.
Students described concrete outcomes from CTE experience: Lauren, an emergency response technology student, said she earned National Registry EMT certification and had a tentative offer to join Pittsburgh EMS; Caleb, a culinary student, said he has ServSafe and manager certifications and has been accepted to two culinary schools, including the Culinary Institute of America with a $40,000 offer; Joshua, a carpentry student, said he is in the final steps of entering a union apprenticeship.
District and employer partners described how grants and cooperative placements translate into paid work and training. Angela Mike said state grants — including a supplemental equipment/Perkins grant and pre-apprenticeship funding — covered gear such as toolkits and boots, and created opportunities for credits and paid co-ops.
The event concluded with planned tours of Westinghouse's CTE classrooms so visitors could see students' work and demonstrations of equipment and projects.
The district did not adopt or vote on new policy at the event; officials framed the day as a demonstration of program outcomes and partnership progress.
