Massachusetts Lawmakers Propose Higher CTE Spending Some lawmakers and advocates for career and technical education are pushing for a budget amendment in Massachusetts to boost funding for the state’s Career Technical Initiative from $4 million to $16.9 million. May 20, 2021 • (David Kidd) (TNS) — Vocational education advocates are urging lawmakers to beef up funding for more retraining programs as a way to help the tens of thousands of laid-off workers get back into the workforce. Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed more than quadrupling state spending for a career training program, called the Career Technical Initiative, to educate some 20,000 workers for jobs in high-demand trades. As we emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic, it's clear many jobs in food services, health care and hospitality aren't coming back, so voc-tech training is more important than ever.