Supporting Skills-Building Opportunities in Pennsylvania, Shapiro Administration Announces New Funding Awarded to Manufacturing Training Programs at Northampton Community College

Bethlehem, PA – Emphasizing the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to increasing workforce development and manufacturing training programs across Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger today announced a total of $336,024 in new funding to support manufacturing programs at Northampton Community College.

Northampton Community College was recently awarded two Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) grants, $199,996 to support their Industrial Skills for Manufacturing training program and $136,028 for the school’s Precision Machining training program. Secretary Siger was on-hand at Northampton Community College today to meet with students and tour several training programs, including the Industrial Skills for Manufacturing program

“It’s great to be here in Bethlehem today to see the enormous impact these training programs have on Pennsylvania students,” said Secretary Siger. “The people in these training programs are learning valuable skills that prepare them to enter the workforce and build strong, sustainable careers. The investment that the Shapiro Administration is making here at Northampton Community College is an investment in Pennsylvania’s economic future.”

Governor Josh Shapiro’s budget will boost Pennsylvania’s economy by increasing investments in workforce training and apprenticeship programs, strengthening skills-building programs that lead to family-sustaining wages, and increasing funding to attract and retain businesses in the Commonwealth.

Students in the Precision Machining training program will learn and master the skill sets to safely and effectively operate the typical machines found in manufacturing environments. In the career exploration components of the program, students will identify and align their personal strengths and interests with various manufacturing occupations and understand the educational requirements, regional demand, and salaries for each.

In the Industrial Skills for Manufacturing training program students will gain foundational skills in maintenance through a curriculum that includes introduction to manufacturing, workplace safety, measurement, blueprint fundamentals, basic electricity, electric relay control/programmable logic controllers, and mechanical maintenance concepts.

Training-to-Career grants support projects that result in short-term work-readiness, job placement, or the advancement of manufacturing. The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.

“We could not be more delighted to expand our relationship with DCED,” said Lauren Loeffler, Vice President of Workforce Development, Northampton Community College. “Their support of these programs has been instrumental in helping our students, our college, and local employers to grow and move forward. These high priority occupations are critical to the success of these businesses and our local economy long-term.”

The manufacturing industry has historically been the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy and currently employs more than 560,000 individuals across the Commonwealth. Governor Shapiro’s budget, which shares his vision to build an economy that works for everyone, enhances Pennsylvania’s longstanding position in the manufacturing industry by funding cutting edge research to spur job creation.

For more information about the MTTC program or DCED, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov