Dec 24, 2022 2 min read

Several local workforce development projects got a boost thanks to Industry Partnership Grant funding.

The funding is geared toward meeting local and regional workforce needs in the fields of health care, manufacturing, construction, information technology, agriculture, education, hospitality and energy industries.

Local recipients included:

n Manufacturing Industry Partnership (Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, Westmoreland counties – $250,000) to hire a training coordinator who will work with United Steelworker employer partners to identify training needs, develop training and apprenticeship programs, and support employers in expanding their use of existing programs. The grant also will fund research into training best practices, industry and occupational skill needs, and the exploration of pre-apprenticeship programming to support those who face barriers entering the field.

n Southwest Corner Advanced Manufacturing Next-Gen Sector Partnership (Beaver, Greene, Washington counties – $144,000) to promote local and regional careers in manufacturing, particularly secondary and post-secondary students. Funding also will be used to focus on upgrading the skills of the current workforce through consortium-based training.

n Southwest Corner Building and Construction Next-Gen Sector Partnership (Beaver, Greene, Washington counties – $250,000) to promote career opportunities in the building and construction industry by educating students and parents on post-high school opportunities. Funding also will be used to identify and employ recruitment strategies for qualified applicants into the trade occupations while expanding enrollment into trade apprenticeship programs, and to focus on diversifying the qualified applicant pool.

n Southwest Corner Healthcare Industry Partnership (Beaver, Greene, Washington counties – $250,000) for outreach, training and promotion of viable career pathways in the health care field. Funding will also be used for exploration of methods to improve retention rates through partnership convening and sharing best practices.

n Westmoreland-Fayette Healthcare Industry Partnership (Fayette, Westmoreland counties – $126,237.21) to support activities related to convening industry partners to share best practices and identify challenges. Funding will also provide training for employees and seminars and workshops for employers, and be used for outreach to health care organizations and other community organizations and stakeholders.

n Westmoreland-Fayette Manufacturing Industry Partnership (Fayette, Westmoreland counties – $165,364.71) to share best practices among industry partners, promote awareness of manufacturing careers and apprenticeships, train workers, engage other partner organizations and host employer seminars to provide insight on employee retention, new employee onboarding, recruitment methods, interviewing practices, and more.