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Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania continues to investments in programs to help teachers advance their careers and enhance their classroom instruction.

Support for early childhood educators

On Tuesday, Gov. Wolf said his administration is investing $10 million in a workforce development program for early childhood educators. In a statement, the Governor said, “It’s imperative that we support early childhood workers with career training and advancement opportunities.” He believes that providing early childhood educators with career training is beneficial for Pennsylvania children. According to Gov. Wolf, the youngest Pennsylvanians will get the “very best start on their educational and developmental journey. His administration chose two professional development organizations to work on this priority with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) under the state’s Department of Human Services and Depart of Education. The two selected organizations, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, specialize in access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for the early childhood education (ECE) workforce. On the other hand, Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, commented, “All early childhood educators should have access to a unified state system of education and professional development to ensure our children and families have access to high-quality child care no matter where they live.”

Grants available for workforce program for teachers

On Wednesday, Gov. Wolf said $5 million is available for workforce program to help link teachers with local employers. The funding will also allow teachers to learn the skills and industry trends to improve their classroom instruction and career readiness as well as student learning. “The Teacher in the Workplace program lets teachers spend time at local employers to learn about the evolving skills students will need to compete for good local jobs,” said Gov. Wolf. He added, “Teachers bring that experience back to their classrooms to develop better lesson plans and prepare students for jobs in their community. This program prepares students for a successful career, creates a stronger workforce for local employers, and builds connections for local economies.” Pennsylvania’s Department of Education is responsible for administering the grants for Teacher in the Workplace Grants. The department provides up to $25,000 to local education agencies to expand career readiness and work-based learning experiences.