RICHMOND, VA — Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson today announced the awarding of $600,000 in competitive grants to 16 school divisions to upgrade equipment for career and technical education (CTE) programs in schools and technical centers. The annual General Assembly appropriation provides for innovative equipment that aligns to 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 school division 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,” said Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson. “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.”

"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.” said Virginia Works Commissioner Nicole Overley.

The awards, by school division, are as follows:

The General Assembly established the CTE equipment grant program in 2016, and the Virginia Department of Education awarded the first grants to school divisions in 2017. Since then, the program has provided $5.4 million to help school divisions purchase innovative equipment to enhance learning experiences for career and technical education students. This investment for CTE is part of Governor Youngkin’s historic investments in direct aid to public education increasing over $7 billion since the pandemic.

“Under Governor Youngkin’s leadership, education at every level—from K-12 through our two and four-year colleges — is now laser-focused on preparing every Virginian for success in life,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera. “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 further demonstrates its commitment to CTE through the 3E Readiness indicator at the high school level as part of the state’s cohesive accountability system that aligns federal and state systems and resources, the School Performance and Support Framework. The 3E Readiness indicator reports student outcomes in the areas of Enrollment, Employment, and Enlistment. CTE opportunities are within the Employment section that measures student performance through achieving CTE completion status, earning a state-approved industry recognized credential in high-demand field, and completing a high-quality work-based experience. These certifications and opportunities successfully equip students with the knowledge and skills to compete in a global workforce.