HARRISBURG– Gov. Tom Wolf has announced $5.5 million in Industry Partnership Grant funding to support workforce development projects designed to meet local and regional workforce needs across Pennsylvania.
Industry Partnership (IPs) support businesses partnering to build a stronger, more competitive job market through training, networking, recruitment, and collaboration within targeted industries and offer Pennsylvanians opportunities for career pathways into jobs with family-sustaining wages. The grant program is administered through the Department of Labor & Industry (L&I).
“With Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate holding steady at a record low, it is our collective responsibility to make decisions that are responsive to the needs of both Pennsylvania workers and employers in sectors where talent pipelines are tapped,” Wolf said. “By investing in workforce development projects, and specifically industry partnerships, we can connect hardworking Pennsylvanians with opportunities to advance their skillsets and obtain family-sustaining jobs in booming industries.”
“Industry Partnership programs address critical shortages in specific industries, assist in retention efforts and offer a robust resource network to ensure individuals have access to meaningful careers,” L&I Secretary Jennifer Berrier said. “At L&I, we strategically use resources to connect Pennsylvania employers with a highly skilled and talented workforce who can do the jobs of tomorrow. We continue to do that, first and foremost, by investing in people and their families.”
The following PAsmart local grant winners and amounts were awarded:
CENTRAL REGION
South Central Construction Industry Partnership (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York – $204,396.44)
The new partnership will use its grant funding for partnership start-up and convening regional partners to develop outreach strategies that focus on areas such as K-12 construction career pathway awareness, incumbent worker training focused on safety, retention, and employee mental health and well-being, hiring re-entrants, veteran recruitment, and identification of skills gaps.
South Central Manufacturing Industry Partnership (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York – $250,000)
The partnership will use its funding to build a pipeline of diverse young individuals pursuing careers in manufacturing by promoting careers in the industry via social media, using the employer toolkit to support student and community engagement, providing training to address barriers in the workforce for non-English speakers in manufacturing, and building content for the regional manufacturing-specific career portal. Funding will also be used to promote connections among manufacturers in the region through website updates, employer presentations at partnership meetings, and facility tours of the region’s manufacturing companies.
South Central NextGen IT Industry Partnership (Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, York – $250,000)
The partnership will use its grant funding for creating awareness and access to both employers and resources to increase a skilled workforce that can meet the current IT needs of the region. Funds will be used to build a communication infrastructure for employers, educators, and job seekers and to increase the talent pipeline. Funds will also be used to coordinate and convene partners for strategic planning to address current and future industry needs.
