The 2026-27 budget signed by Governor Josh Shapiro provides $4.7 million for the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) program.
Since the Shapiro Administration took office in 2023, more than $17 million has been invested through MTTC to help train over 3,500 Pennsylvanians for manufacturing and skilled trades careers.
The Department of Community and Economic Development is accepting applications through June 30, 2027, or until the program’s funding is expended.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced the department is accepting applications for Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) Program funding to help Pennsylvanians chart their own path to career success and invest in the Commonwealth’s manufacturing industry.
Governor Josh Shapiro secured $4.7 million for MTTC in the 2026-27 budget he signed on July 12, 2026.
“Governor Shapiro understands that we must invest in our workforce for Pennsylvania’s economy to thrive,” said Secretary Siger. “By securing $4.7 million for the MTTC Program in his 2026-27 budget, the Governor is ensuring we can help provide the next generation of manufacturing workers with the skills they need for rewarding careers, while also further strengthening this important industry in Pennsylvania.”
The Governor’s investment in the MTTC Program is part of the Shapiro Administration’s broader commitment to strengthening Pennsylvania’s workforce and expanding access to good-paying careers. The bipartisan 2026-27 budget builds on that commitment by increasing career and technical education funding by $10 million. With that increase, Pennsylvania’s annual investment in workforce development initiatives — including career and technical education, vo-tech, registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships — has grown from $118 million before Governor Shapiro took office to $193 million today, a 60 percent increase.
“Pennsylvania’s manufacturers depend on a skilled workforce, and that workforce depends on access to high-quality training and career pathways,” said Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker. “Governor Shapiro is making historic investments to expand workforce development opportunities across the Commonwealth, and programs like Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career help connect Pennsylvanians to family-sustaining careers while ensuring employers have the talent they need to compete and grow.”
The MTTC Program provides grant opportunities to Pennsylvania school districts, trade and technical schools, community colleges, and non-profit organizations to help identify and train a skilled workforce for existing or future open positions, build awareness of manufacturing career opportunities with youth or people with barriers to employment, and help provide more skilled workers for manufacturers.
DCED is accepting applications through June 30, 2027, or until the program’s funding is expended.
The manufacturing industry is one of the key sectors in Governor Shapiro’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Since the Shapiro Administration took office in 2023, more than $17 million has been invested through the MTTC Program to help train over 3,500 Pennsylvaniansfor careers in manufacturing and the skilled trades.
Most recently, the Shapiro Administration awarded more than $1.6 million for 10 projects giving schools, training providers, and organizations the resources needed to expose students to careers in the skilled trades and manufacturing, provide hands-on training opportunities, and equip the next generation with the skills needed to secure good-paying, in-demand jobs.
Learn more about the Shapiro Administration’s efforts to support Pennsylvania’s communities, businesses, and workers and spur the economy, to build a stronger, more competitive economy for all Pennsylvanians.
For more information about the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program or DCED, visit the agency’s website, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
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