Roughly one-third of governors have explicitly elevated workforce development as a central economic priority during their “State of the State” addresses. Those governors detailed their interest and effort in improving workforce development in their states to bolster their economies, and many cited high school and career and technical education (CTE) as a means to accomplish those goals:

  • Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) highlighted Alabama’s highest-ever college and career readiness rate and emphasized continued investment in credentialing and career-aligned pathways. She pointed to the addition of 500,000 credentialed workers to the state’s workforce and highlighted expanded specialty programs in fields like cybersecurity, engineering, and health sciences. [WSFA 12]
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) emphasized California’s new master plan for career education and the continued expansion of apprenticeships, positioning education to workforce alignment as central to the state’s economic strategy. 
  • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) underscored the importance of connecting the skills students learn in school with those needed for good jobs, citing record participation in dual enrollment and community college courses, which he highlighted again this week alongside XQ’s Future of High School report. 
  • Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) pointed to postsecondary affordability and workforce alignment, and proposed a new Vocational Training Grant Program aimed at expanding specialized workforce programs and better connecting students to in-demand, high-paying jobs. [NBC Chicago]
  • Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) promoted the success of Idaho LAUNCH, a program preparing students to enter in-demand careers directly after high school in fields like healthcare, skilled trades, and teaching.
  • Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) highlighted a 50% increase in investment in CTE, vo-tech, and apprenticeship programs, leading to expanded enrollment and new pre-apprenticeships statewide. 

Budgets Solidify Commitment to Expansion

State legislative sessions are underway across the nation. We’re tracking the following budget proposals, which include notable CTE and workforce funding components:

  • Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves’ (R) FY 2027 Executive Budget Recommendation includes a proposal to transition Mississippi’s apprenticeship office to a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) model to enhance state‑level oversight and data management of registered apprenticeships. The budget also proposes $1.4 million to expand Mississippi’s workforce training infrastructure through new Accelerate Mississippi Talent Solutions Centers, with a goal of training and deploying more than 2,000 additional workers in high‑demand fields. 
  • Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s (D) FY 2027 budget proposes a $600 million general obligation bond package that includes a dedicated $50 million Career and Technical Education component, Rhode Island’s first bond focused specifically on CTE. The CTE bond is intended to create new programs and improve existing career and technical education offerings, including modern facilities and equipment, while additional bond components support higher education facilities, economic development, housing, and clean energy projects.
  • South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) FY 2027 Executive Budget proposes continued and expanded investment in workforce scholarships and job‑training aligned with high‑demand fields. The budget recommends $95 million in lottery funds for the South Carolina Workforce Industry Needs Scholarship (SC WINS) through the South Carolina Technical College System, a program that has already helped more than 120,000 residents cover tuition and required fees to earn postsecondary or industry credentials. 

Looking Forward

Governors are increasingly framing K-12 and postsecondary alignment not as an ancillary education reform, but as a core economic strategy tied to state competitiveness, labor market shortages, and regional growth. Now, it’s a matter of how effectively states’ investments translate into measurable outcomes, like credential completion, employer alignment, wage mobility, and long-term economic resilience.

Go deeper: We will continue tracking where states move from proposal to policy, and where funding commitments signal a deeper structural shift in how states position education as a workforce engine. In the meantime, check out our analysis of all State of the State addresses, year to date, on our blog.

This article is sourced from Whiteboard Notes, our weekly newsletter of the latest education policy and industry news read by thousands of education leaders, investors, grantmakers, and entrepreneurs. Subscribe here.