The Erie County Technical School works in cooperation with several organizations to serve our regional communities. We prioritize the employment needs of our communities through Local Advisory Committees, Occupational Advisory Committees, and Cooperative Education (COOP) placements. Our Professional Advisory Council, Joint Operating Committee, and Guidance Committees support the organizational and educational needs of our participating districts, and their respective communities. With SOAR accreditation and articulation agreements with regional universities our college partnerships fast track our students toward their degree pursuits. Lastly, with the Federal Perkins Grant we invest in our programs to improve overall impact.
The Local Advisory Committee (LAC) is comprised of representation from regional employers, civil leaders, and workforce organizations. This group meets with the Director annually.
Our Occupational Advisory Committees (OAC) are comprised of regional employers, educators, and interested parties to discuss curriculum, equipment, and the fundamentals of our programming. One OAC exists for each of our technical education programs and meet directly with our instructors semi-annually. The school administration reviews and considers all recommendations and opportunities that transpire from these discussions. Advisory Committee guidelines are established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education Bureau of Career and Technical Education.
Our Business Partnerships Coordinator works closely with all employers in our region to establish opportunities for our students to work in a cooperative education placement with their organization. This includes reviewing curricular objectives and employer needs to support both program improvements, and student success.
The Superintendents of each of our participating school districts meet monthly as a Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) for the school. These meetings under the steering of our Superintendent of Record and Director guide our institution toward our collective vision.
Our Joint Operating Committee (JOC) has one school board member from each of our participating districts. They meet monthly and provide the Principals and Leadership direction for the school. This committee is formed based on Board Policy.
SOAR accreditation is a Pennsylvania Department of Education career and technical Program of Study (POS) educational plan that articulates the secondary career and technical programs to post-secondary degree, diploma, or certificate programs.
Articulation agreements with regional universities also helps us ensure our curriculum is keeping industry pace. 
They also establish wonderful relationships for our students considering educational growth immediately or even later on after high school. Furthermore, these tremendous relationships lead to collaboration opportunities enhancing practical application experiences for our students.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Bureau of Career and Technical Education (BCTE) established a guidebook (Leadership Connections: Effective Relationships) that more specifically details the principals for each of these partnership.
The Federal Perkins Grant is a financial opportunity for Career and Technical education schools. With it we are able to improve our programs and instructional delivery . Our Perkins Stakeholder Planning Committee is a collaboration of business, parents, higher education, and our faculty that review our allocation in our grant application developed through our Perkins Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA).
There are many grants that our school utilizes and are available for public display. Shown here are some of the grants: