Pennsylvania announces new manufacturing investments impacting Lehigh Valley schools.
Gwen Ross, Director of Workforce Development Initiatives at the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), announced a new $200,000 investment by the Shapiro Administration. This funding is provided through the Manufacturing PA Training to Career (MTTC) grant program to manufacturing-focused career programs offered by Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The MTTC grant program works with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing skills for entry-level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, and to increase access to youth and manufacturing career opportunities. Involve people with barriers.
“The Shapiro administration recognizes that career programs offered by organizations like Northeast Pennsylvania Junior Achievement benefit both workers and manufacturers,” Ross said in a statement. “By equipping our students with advanced technology experience, we can meet the needs of our industry while putting young Pennsylvanians on the path to rewarding careers in manufacturing.”
Northeastern Pennsylvania Junior Achievement offers career-focused programs to schools in Carbon and Monroe counties in the Lehigh Valley, as well as schools in other counties. The funding will help expand the variety of career initiatives available to middle and high school students to increase students’ awareness of the skills, education and training to succeed in advanced careers in manufacturing, according to the release. Helpful.
Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania is partnering with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) to expand programs that focus on Northeastern Pennsylvania’s strong manufacturing industry. The partnership will increase students’ exposure to local manufacturing careers and connect them with local manufacturing employers for job shadows, internships and employment in local manufacturing, according to the release. .
“We are grateful to the Shapiro Administration for supporting Junior Achievement through this generous grant, which will help Pennsylvania’s future workforce – today’s middle and high school students – enjoy the rich opportunities in our region’s manufacturing industry. This is more important than ever,” said Susan Magnotta, president of Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
“We are working with NEPIRC to introduce the necessary skills, training, education, and career paths and jobs available in local manufacturing industries (with or without a college degree) through hands-on, interactive learning activities. We look forward to enhancing our current programs to reflect this.” Magnotta added.
