Central Pa. receiving workforce funding

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Central Pennsylvania is receiving an investment from the Shapiro Administration to strengthen the area’s workforce. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announced a $2.8 million investment in Industry Partnership grants to ten organizations to strengthen Pennsylvania’s workforce and economy. According to a release, the Industry Partnership program connects regional business leaders within a shared industry with public partners to address workforce challenges and enhance industry competitiveness. 

“Industry Partnerships work because they are driven by employers and grounded in the needs of local communities, connecting workers to good jobs, helping businesses grow, and strengthening our regional economies,” L&I Secretary Nancy Walker said in a statement. “As we’ve seen the program’s impact grow across the commonwealth, it’s clear that continued investment in Industry Partnerships will allow us to expand this important work and ensure that more communities have a stronger, more resilient workforce.” 

Central Pennsylvania’s Manufacturers’ Association, which serves Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties is receiving $350,000. Per the release, the South-Central Manufacturing Industry Partnership aims at promoting manufacturing careers to build a pipeline of motivated, qualified, and diverse individuals while also facilitating education and adoption of robotics and AI tools to support the regional manufacturing base. 

The partnership is also designed to improve training and career advancement opportunities while facilitating peer learning and strengthening supply chain collaboration in South Central Pennsylvania. 

In addition, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York counties are part of the Chester County Workforce Development Board, which is also receiving $350,000 for the Smart Energy Initiative of Southeastern PA. According to L&I, the funding is to help companies navigate new energy laws and “site-ready” requirements, address energy distribution challenges affecting business operations, and prepare for emerging opportunities in micro-nuclear, geothermal, and other clean-energy sectors. 

The actions are aimed at helping employers, job seekers, and aligns support to strengthen Pennsylvania’s energy sector, per L&I.