HARRISBURG – Lancaster County Rep. Bryan Cutler is proposing a bill establishing a new scholarship program designed to strengthen PA’s skilled trades workforce while expanding post-secondary opportunities for students. The new program, called PA WORKS (Workforce, Opportunity, Retention, and Knowledge Scholarship), would be modeled after the Commonwealth’s successful tax credit-supported scholarship programs. Under PA WORKS, eligible businesses could direct tax credits toward scholarships for students enrolled in PA-based institutions of higher education that offer programs in specified high-demand fields. Cutler said the program would reduce the financial barriers students face when pursuing technical and professional degrees in the trades. Long term, this would expand access to careers that offer sustainable wages and long-term economic opportunity for persons from all backgrounds. His House Bill 2308 awaits action in the House Education Committee.
REP. BRYAN CUTLER