A statewide after-school engineering program is on the chopping block due to budget cuts.

The state Department of Education proposed eliminating funding for the Connecticut Pre-Engineering Program for the next fiscal year following Gov. Dannel Malloy's orders that all state agencies cut their budgets by at least 5 percent.

The program teaches creative thinking, teamwork and trial-and-error skills to prospective engineers.

The program is very popular, with a waiting list for nearly 30 students.

School officials say that although some private companies do financially support CPEP, they do not match the funds the program receives from the state.