Shapiro touts plan for non-college career training at WBACTC career fair

PLAINS TWP. — Gov. Josh Shapiro took a crack at welding during a visit to the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technology Center Tuesday morning, but sparks didn’t fly — figuratively or literally, because he used a simulator that looked a lot like a real welder, save the actual metal electrode and shielding gas needed to heat and fuse joints.

The attempt came courtesy of the metal workers union, one of 16 organizations — most unions — set up in the CTC’s cafeteria Tuesday for the Northeast Pennsylvania Building & Construction Trade Council’s inaugural Career Day. The gathering of union reps at a school teaching many of their trades had been scheduled sans the governor: He joined to tout his proposed budget increase for CTCs and apprenticeship programs.

“I believe in you,” he told a group of students in the room at the time, arguing they should have a wide selection of avenues to gainful employment, not just college.

From the outset of his still-early tenure, Shapiro has championed varied career path options. His first executive order on his first full day as governor instructed the Office of Administration “to emphasize skills and experience in Commonwealth job postings.” He claimed his actions assured that 92% of state government jobs do not need a four-year college degree.

At the CTC, Shapiro elicited applause when he promised to restore funding cut from annual state dollars for Career and Technical Centers, and again when he cited his budget proposal to spend $25 million more supporting apprenticeship programs.

“If you believe in a future with more union apprenticeships, get behind this budget,” he said. “This is the kind of investment we need to make in Pennsylvania so people have the freedom to chart their own course.”