Wolf framed this as "the most significant element" in his budget address: "A plan to create a new generation of prosperity in our commonwealth by building the strongest workforce in the nation."
MORE: Wolf's budget remarks receive rave reviews from GOP lawmakers
Most GOP leaders seized on the workforce angle to give the speech uncharacteristically positive reviews. But the top Republican in the Senate, Joe Scarnati, sounded a note of caution about spending.
"This budget’s not just going to be a slam dunk," he said. "We have a lot of work to do."
And when it comes to some of the governor's other marquee proposals, a spokesman for House Republicans said a plan to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour this July and to $15 an hour by 2025 remains a hard sell.
While not part of the general fund budget, Wolf's latest proposal for a tax on natural gas drillers has already been panned by House GOP leaders.