Virginia DOE awards $600K to 16 school divisions for CTE equipment upgrades

Virginia has awarded $600,000 in competitive grant funding to 16 school divisions to upgrade equipment for career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson announced the funding on May 7, which is appropriated annually by the General Assembly for innovative equipment that aligns with CTE programs that prepare students for high-demand and fast-growth industry sectors based on data from the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE).

Each of the school divisions will receive $37,500 to purchase new equipment and make other improvements to enhance student learning.

“With this $600,000 investment in modern CTE equipment, we’re strengthening Virginia’s future workforce by giving students access to the same tools and technologies used by today’s top industries. These upgrades will ensure our classrooms mirror real-world industries, giving students hands-on experience that leads directly to high-wage, high-demand careers right here in the Commonwealth. When we invest in career and technical education, we invest in the future of our communities,” Gullickson said.

The school divisions include Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center, Franklin County High School, Hampton High School, Hopewell City Public Schools, Smithfield High School, Louisa County High School, Unity Reed and Woodbridge Senior high schools in Prince William County and Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center.

“This announcement from the Virginia Department of Education today exemplifies our Commonwealth’s commitment to career and technical education that equips our students with the skills and exposure they need to be life-ready and career-ready. We are united in our focus on high-wage, high-demand occupations at all stages of career exploration and preparation, and we will see the immediate impact of these investments in CTE classrooms across Virginia,” Virginia Works Commissioner Nicole Overley said.

The CTE equipment grant program was established in 2016 by the General Assembly. The first grants to school divisions were awarded by the Virginia Department of Education in 2017. The program has provided $5.4 million to help school divisions purchase innovative equipment to enhance learning experiences for career and technical education students. The CTE investment is part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s historic investments in direct aid to public education increasing more than $7 billion since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Under Gov. Youngkin’s leadership, education at every level—from K-12 through our two and four-year colleges — is now laser-focused on preparing ever Virginian for success in life. These grants ensure our high schools and CTE Centers across the Commonwealth have state of the art equipment to train our students for the jobs of the future,” Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera said.