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Pennsylvania community colleges partner to train skilled trades workforce
Pennsylvania community colleges partner to train skilled trades workforce
Listen to this articleLehigh Carbon, Luzerne, Northampton, and Bucks county community colleges are part of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC), which signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding with TradesFutures on Wednesday, to establish a first-of-its-kind statewide apprenticeship-ready partnership.
The partnership is being put together to provide specialized training for high-demand sectors, including the hyperscale data centers currently planned for the region.
The agreement, signed on National Skilled Trades Day in Harrisburg, authorizes Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges to implement the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3). This is a nationally recognized pre-apprenticeship program, developed by North America’s Building Trades Unions.
“This partnership represents a transformative step forward for Lehigh Carbon Community College. By integrating the MC3 curriculum into our programming, we are creating clear, accessible pathways into family-sustaining careers in the skilled trades. Together with TradesFutures and our industry partners, we are not only meeting workforce demands but also opening doors of opportunity for our students and communities statewide,” said Dr. Ann D. Bieber, president of LCCC.
State data projects that Pennsylvania will require 300,000 skilled trade workers by 2030, particularly as 40% of the current workforce nears retirement.
The MC3 curriculum is registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry and focuses on removing barriers for underrepresented communities.
“Our goal is to codify these partnerships among community colleges, technical high schools, and the building trades,” said Tuesday Stanley, president and CEO of the PACCC. “By doing so, we magnify the preeminent role community colleges play in delivering the skilled labor Pennsylvania needs to thrive.”
