The Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation and Education announced a new grant program is now available to educational institutions to help grow Pennsylvania’s workforce and expand career pathways for young people in the Heavy Highway Industry.
The new competitive grant program will accept applications from July 7 through September 1 to support career pathway education, technical training, industry certification, and on-the-job learning in the highway industry for elementary, middle, high school, and college students. Eligible educational institutions will be able to use this funding to create or expand new education programs geared toward many skilled jobs in this industry such as construction inspector, mechanic, laborer, electrician, stonemason, welder, painter, cost estimator, and surveyor.
PennDOT is making up to $12 million in federal funding available for this program, with a maximum possible grant award of $500,000 per eligible applicant.
“These grants will help schools start or expand programs to expose students to the trades that will continue building Pennsylvania,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.
All Pennsylvania educational institutions are eligible to apply, including public school districts, private schools, cyber schools, Career & Technical Centers, Youth Development Centers, and institutions of higher learning. There are no regional or residential restrictions within the state, however an educational institution’s primary campus must be located within the state of Pennsylvania.
Applications will need to demonstrate collaboration with industry partners such as regional industry employers, organized labor or trade unions, workforce development boards, post-secondary education partners, or community-based workforce entities.
A 2025 Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) survey indicated that 92 percent of contractors are having a hard time filling open positions. Additionally, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) projects that approximately 41% of the current construction workforce will retire by 2031. There is also strong demand for more career and technical education opportunities in schools across Pennsylvania. Just in the past month, nearly 100 schools or districts contacted PennDOT about its new Heavy Highway Industry Career Day program, which will bring industry presenters and career pathway information to interested schools starting this fall.
