Wolf administration visits LCTI to showcase career and technical education

Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed a $6 million increase for career and technical education in his final budget to prepare students for the workforce.  

Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, (LCTI), Schnecksville, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, would be a recipient of some of that money. 

So said Pennsylvania Department of Education Executive Deputy Secretary

today during a visit to LCTI to showcase the importance of career and technical education. 

 “Career and technical centers provide students with diverse options for completing secondary education, and an abundance of pathways to pursue after graduation,” Carrera said. “The experience and knowledge students gain while attending a career and technical institute is invaluable and propels them toward a successful future.  

“Programs like those at Lehigh Career and Technical Institute provide students with certifications and skills that are critical to helping Pennsylvanians explore meaningful career options, no matter which pathway they choose,” she said. 

During the past seven years, the Wolf Administration has invested $116 million in science, computer science and technical education, including $80 million in the PAsmart program, and $36 million in apprenticeships and workforce training.  

Since 2015, the number of career and technical education students earning industry-recognized credentials has increased by 38.7 % and the number of credentials earned by students enrolled in CTE programs has grown by 33.6 %, she said. 

 LCTI is one of the largest career and technical centers in the United States, LCTI said. Covering 47 acres, LCTI offers more than 40 programs in areas like arts and humanities, business and communication technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing, health and human services, and industrial technology, as well as a wide range of academic classes in their Academic Center, which is designed to prepare students for success in college and their careers.  

The five-wing building includes 450,000 square feet of labs filled with cutting-edge technology. 

The school serves more than 2,700 students living in the Allentown, Catasauqua Area, East Penn, Northern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh, Parkland, Salisbury Township, Southern Lehigh, and Whitehall-Coplay school districts. 

“LCTI is celebrating its 50th year of career and technical education and there has never been a greater need for a skilled workforce,” said Dr. Thomas Rushton, executive director for LCTI “We look forward to the next 50 years of supporting business and industry in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.”