Latest News from State Capitol and 55th District

April 9, 2026

Proposal Would Expand Interest in Trades-Based Careers

It’s an important fact: Pennsylvania faces a projected shortfall of more than 300,000 skilled trade workers by 2030.

This presents difficult challenges regarding Pennsylvania’s economic development. If businesses seek to grow, they are certain to need staff. Expanding our infrastructure, including transportation, water, sewerage and natural gas, is also an important factor to economic growth, all of which requires a skilled labor force.

Reversing this trend and attracting Pennsylvania students to have an interest in skilled trades is likely to take multiple approaches and strategies. This is why I am proposing legislation requiring Commonwealth students in grades six through 12 to participate in a shop class, helping to expand hands-on learning and better prepare students for in-demand careers.

For me, the shortfall in skilled tradespeople is alarming but should also be seen as an opportunity.

The demand for skilled trades in sectors like construction, manufacturing and energy has increased for several reasons. For example, some of our utility and transportation infrastructure systems have aged beyond their ideal usage periods. Consumer needs and desires have trended in ways that we are experiencing changing needs in the worlds of technology and construction.

At the same time, K-12 education systems and families are only just beginning to recognize the opportunities beyond the traditional path of seeking a four-year degree immediately after graduating from high school. However, for years, while tradespeople from the Baby Boomer generation were approaching retirement, there were fewer Pennsylvania high school seniors looking to become skilled electricians, carpenters, welders, machinists, plumbers and heavy equipment operators.

Fortunately, there are several indicators that these trends are changing.

The past few state budgets have seen increased investments in career and technical education programs. We have also seen important legislative proposals become law to clear a path for tradespeople to become career and technical education instructors.

My proposal intends to help Pennsylvania students develop an appreciation of building, creating or repairing something with their hands, creating a skill and sparking an interest that they otherwise may never know they have.

Benefits to learners for this exposure can be both immediate and long-term. Career and technical education students have a more successful high school graduation rate at 94.7%, compared to 87% for all Pennsylvania high school students. Because 81% of Commonwealth jobs will require education beyond high school but less than a bachelor’s degree by 2031, Pennsylvania career and technical students are in a primary position to take advantage of these opportunities and begin earning substantial, family-sustaining wages, without accruing education-related debt.

This is not to say that career and technical education students are barred from higher learning. In fact, 35% of career and technology graduates go on to pursue higher education at colleges and universities.

As I mentioned above, the challenges of shifting Pennsylvania’s workforce trends should be viewed as opportunities.

My bill will encourage young students to broaden their knowledge base. In a world where we rely so heavily on mobile devices or computers, now more than ever, the Commonwealth’s students should be exposed to the feelings of fulfillment one can experience by solving problems or creating something with their hands.

This legislation represents a commonsense investment in our kids and our Commonwealth. Every student should leave school knowing how to think critically, work with their hands and have the opportunity to be a valued member of our labor force — whether in a factory, on a job site, in a lab or in their own home. Let’s give them the shop experience they need to build a stronger Pennsylvania.

Here are some additional news topics and reminders I would like to share

Mobile Shredding Event Scheduled – Don’t leave personal, sensitive documents sitting around. Instead, dispose of them safely at my free Mobile Shredding event that I am co-hosting with Rep. Abby Major, Friday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lower Burrell VFW Post 92, 1601 Wildlife Lodge Road, New Kensington. The event is available specifically for personal documents and not commercial use. Please keep in mind there is a limit of two bags or boxes per person. Books, magazines or metal binding materials (other than staples) cannot be shredded.

Hey Ladies, Join me for Tea! – Please join me for a Women’s Legislative Tea event to discuss current events in Harrisburg and here at home. The free event, scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, from 2-4 p.m. at The Lamplighter, 6566 Route 22, Delmont, features guest speaker Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli. Register by May 8 by contacting Robin Savage at 724-387-9113 or by emailing rsavage@pahousegop.com.

Eligible PA Veterans: Apply Now for Amputee, Paralyzed Veterans Pension - The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) is encouraging eligible veterans to apply now for a monthly pension offered through the state’s Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension program. The DMVA is promoting the benefit to increase awareness as the Amputee Coalition observes National Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month in April. Pennsylvania veterans who qualify for the pension receive $150 per month. Currently, there are 2,500 veterans across the Commonwealth enrolled in the program. For more information, visit pa.gov and navigate to the DMVA portion. 



Representative Jill Cooper
55th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jordan Frei
724.875.8450
jfrei@pahousegop.com