How innovative education can help Pennsylvania’s economy

Originally published in the Bucks County Courier Times

Over two years after Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown of all “non-life-sustaining business,” Pennsylvania’s economy still struggles to recover. Pennsylvania has lost 167,000 payroll jobs since February 2020 and has the fourth-highest unemployment rate in the nation. Industries with critical labor shortages — like the natural gas sector — are desperately seeking workers and offering high wages.

While disruptive to the economy, these job openings create opportunities for students who chose innovative education programs to equip them with high-demand skills.

As students embrace opportunity, policymakers are following their lead. In the new state budget, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed the largest expansion of its Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. These allow businesses to take a tax credit in exchange for scholarship contributions, empowering students with greater access to educational opportunities.

Read more in the Bucks County Courier Times