JEFFERSON HILLS, Pa. — The Steel Center for Career and Technical Education has completed a $36 million renovation, bringing upgraded classrooms, new programs and expanded career training opportunities to more than 1,000 students from 11 school districts.
Steel Center received a Pennsylvania Smart grant to launch a new electric vehicle technician apprenticeship program, reflecting the growing demand for workers in the state’s transportation industry, said Judd Pittman of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Career and Technical Education.
The center also added a second building trades program to meet demand and launched a business innovations and social media marketing program selected by students.
“When we invest in our students, we invest in our region,” Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the project’s completion.
The reopening comes as Pennsylvania continues to increase its investment in career and technical education and workforce development.
The state’s 2026-27 budget includes an additional $10 million for career and technical education, bringing total spending on workforce development initiatives to $193 million, according to the Shapiro-Davis administration.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who helped secure a $4 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant for the Steel Center project while serving as a state representative in 2022, said students should have opportunities to pursue both college and skilled trades.
“We want to make sure that young people have every opportunity to succeed,” Davis said. “If they want to go to college, we can make sure that’s affordable, but we also want to value if young people want to go to trade, want to get a skill, they should be able to do that right here in Pennsylvania.”
More than 1,000 students are expected to begin classes at the renovated center Monday.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW