Governor Larry Hogan today announced a proposal to expand the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program in Maryland. The P-TECH model enables students to graduate with a high school diploma and a no-cost, two-year associate degree in a critical STEM field in six years or less.

Each P-TECH school includes a partnership among a local high school, a college, and a private sector sponsor.

According to a press release:

The governor announced that the administration will submit the P-TECH Opportunity Act of 2019 during the upcoming session of the Maryland General Assembly. The bill will improve and expand the current legislation by lifting caps that limit the state to issuing one planning grant per local school system.

In addition, the legislation will lift the cap that currently does not allow for any additional schools beyond the eight already open until the 2016-2017 cohort of PTECH students complete their six year sequence. The governor also committed $300,000 in his FY 2020 budget to fund planning grants for three additional schools, contingent upon the legislation passing, and pledged further funding if additional school partnerships are identified.

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P-TECH schools offer students an integrated six-year education program that combines high school, college, and workplace skills required for 21st-century jobs. Each P-TECH student is paired with a professional mentor, participates in workplace learning, and is eligible for paid internships with their industry partner. Upon completion, P-TECH graduates then receive “first-in-line” consideration for New Collar jobs.

Launched in 2011, the P-TECH network has scaled to more than 110 schools across eight U.S. states, Australia, Morocco, and Taiwan. More than 500 industry partners and 77 community college systems are now participating in the model.

Read the full press release for more information.