Taconic High School in Pittsfield has received $4 million in grant funding to start its new plumbing program. It is one of nearly 30 schools to receive a total of $70 million in career technical education program grants announced Thursday by Gov. Maura Healey.

PITTSFIELD — Taconic High School has received the $4 million it’s been eyeing to start its new vocational plumbing program.

The funding is part of $70 million in career technical education program grants that will flow to nearly 30 schools, Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday. The money comes from the fiscal 2025 surtax supplemental budget, or from the surtax on high-income earners, a Healey spokesperson said.

The grants are expected to create up to 2,500 career technical education seats, fueled by the expansion of 23 programs, the launch of 27 new programs, and upgrades to facilities, equipment and technology, Healey's office said.

Before applying for the funding, an advisory board of Taconic community members and its larger local workforce partners was created to determine the need for creating a local plumbing program. In a social media post from Thursday, the high school said it anticipated the program to open for the 2027-28 school year.

“We are grateful to the Healey administration for their support in CTE expansion, as well as Dr. [Latifah] Phillips and Assistant Superintendent [Tammy] Gage for their support in the grant application,” the post read. “We are very excited for the future!”

The program will be Taconic’s 16th CTE program and the eighth additional program since the school reopened in 2018 as a full vocational school.

To meet demand, the major vocational high schools in the county, McCann Technical School and Taconic, have continuously expanded programs to prepare more students to enter skilled trades.

With over $3 million in grant funding from the state, McCann opened the county’s first HVAC and refrigeration program in 2024 to freshmen; this spring, the now-juniors will be eligible for the co-op program, in which they can work as interns in the local HVAC trade.

The number of high school students in Massachusetts remains stagnant, but interest in vocational education has surged. Berkshire County's two vocational programs are full, but don’t have long waitlists like more populated areas of the state. Steven Sharek, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, said demand for career technical schools and programs has "never been higher."

"These expansion grants represent an important first step toward addressing that growing need while strengthening our workforce pipeline and supporting economic growth statewide," Sharek said.

Healey said other grants include $3.5 million to Chicopee Comprehensive High School for HVAC and plumbing programs; $2 million to Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical in Bourne to expand welding and metal fabrication programs; and $1.75 million to New Bedford High School for early education and child care programs.

Assabet Valley Vocational High School in Marlborough secured a $3.75 million to develop two new programs focused on public safety and veterinary science. Hands-on learning through the public safety track will feature a mock dispatch center and forensics lab, partnerships with local fire and EMS departments, and agreements with community colleges to allow students to earn degrees and certifications.

"We've got so many employers across Massachusetts who are anxious to hire you, who need your skills and your talents," Healey said. "It's why it's super, super exciting to meet these students who are learning these cutting-edge skills and will be out there in no time, hopefully in our communities in Massachusetts, making it happen."

An additional 400 to 600 career technical seats are in the pipeline through a separate state funding opportunity, according to Healey's office. The application deadline closed earlier this week for a $15 million capital grant pilot program, aimed at expanding and upgrading programs at "comprehensive" high schools that also offer career technical training.

Alison Kuznitz of State House News Service contributed to this report.