News about Apprenticeships

The state House Majority Policy Committee visited Penn College’s main campus on Tuesday, taking a tour before holding a hearing on “Growing Pennsylvania’s Economy.” Twelve members of the committee, chaired by Rep. Martin Causer, of McKean County – joined remotely by others – heard testimony during the two-hour session in the Thompson Professional Development Center. Among those sharing their expertise were Shannon M. Munro, the college’s vice president for workforce development, characterized by co-host Rep. Jeff Wheeland as “the go-to person” in her field. “Because employers grow the economy, we must respond to their needs,” Munro said. “Penn College does this in two distinct ways: We provide a pipeline of graduates in degrees that align with what employers are looking for, and we also offer lifelong training opportunities for their incumbent workers.”

Modular apprenticeships, characterized by Workforce Development’s executive director for business development as a “missing piece” in the employee training puzzle, are the focus of the second in a series of blog posts about Penn College’s apprenticeship program. “The idea is to take a large apprenticeship program and segment it into modules that focus on common topical areas,” Christopher P. Ray says. “This allows for employees to benefit from the entire upskilling program if needed, or to focus time and effort only on the segments that apply to their areas of responsibility.”

Penn College’s proven prominence in helping companies improve their employees’ skills through apprenticeship training is reflected in a new feature of the campus community’s blog. Laying the groundwork for a planned series of insightful posts, author Christopher P. Ray – Workforce Development’s executive director for business development – debuts with a definition of what separates the program from the myriad other “ships” in the workforce world.

Penn College’s Advanced Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship program held a brief ceremony Monday morning, acknowledging the five graduates who successfully completed the 10-week training.

While the AMP program is generally geared toward students in high schools and career and technical centers, exposing them to potential livelihoods while they formulate their respective paths, the latest group featured young adults embarking on new adventures: Daquan Alford Jr., of Williamsport; Christopher Cormelison, of Hughesville; Racheal Pandolfell, of Berwick; Dylan Peters, of Mill Hall; and Ryan Yingling, of Lock Haven.

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An Emergency Medical Technician pre-apprenticeship course, beginning the week of May 4 and running through Aug. 12, will be offered on main campus by Workforce Development at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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“Every minute you’re here, you’re getting trained.”

That’s the real-world perspective of Tyler G. Smith, a maintenance technician at West Pharmaceutical Services Inc., who is three-quarters into a four-year registered apprenticeship program administered by Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Workforce Development department.

“Every minute” is part of the 144 hours of annual classroom theory – four hours, once a week – designed to help employees and employers alike plug the gap between skilled positions and the workers who fill them. This instruction supplements the 2,000 hours that Smith and his classmates each spend training on-the-job.

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Workforce Development at Penn College welcomed scores of school administrators, counselors and teachers Tuesday to its 2019 Pre-Apprenticeship Summit, where educators learned how to prepare today’s high school students for the in-demand, high-skilled careers of tomorrow. A full agenda covered various facets of pre-apprenticeships – what they are, the benefits of integration into the secondary curriculum, and how they can pave students’ path to both college and career. Featured speakers at the Thompson Professional Development Center event were Eric Ramsay, director of the Apprenticeship and Training Office, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry; Christina Herman, Career Ready specialist for the state Department of Education; and Stephen Herzenberg, executive director of the Keystone Research Center. Also presenting was Ross A. Berger, a client development specialist at the college.

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Four employers met with more than a half-dozen Jersey Shore Area High School juniors and seniors Wednesday as Penn College Workforce Development hosted an “Industry Day” for students in its advanced manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program. Representatives of the Hershey Co., West Pharmaceutical Services, First Quality Enterprises and Conestoga Wood Specialties each provided an overview of their respective operations, corporate culture and career pathways, then networked with members of the group. (Students from Central Mountain High School were unable to attend.) This year is a grant-funded pilot for the college’s pre-apprenticeship program, and Christopher P. Ray, Workforce Development’s executive director for business development, said he hopes the 2019-20 program broadens participation by businesses and school districts alike.

More than 100 industry officials, thought leaders and partners – representing 69 employers – attended Thursday’s second annual Apprenticeship Summit to discuss how best to close skills gaps, retain workers and attract new employees. The keynote speaker was Eric M. Seleznow, senior adviser with Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit that collaborates with national authorities on education, workforce development, business, technology, government and philanthropy. Other presenters at the summit, themed around “Best Practices in Apprenticeship,” included Joe Miller, senior human resources professional with First Quality Enterprises; Angela Hummel, talent development leader at Angela Hummel Consulting; and Eric M. Ramsay, director of the apprenticeship and training office for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Among the Penn College representatives on the agenda were President Davie Jane Gilmour; Shannon M. Munro, vice president for workforce development; and Christopher P. Ray, Workforce Development’s executive director for business development.  The day also featured workshops, networking opportunities, a showing of two recent college videos on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and lunch in CC Commons.

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Penn College offers a unique manufacturing pre-apprenticeship program for high school students through its Workforce Development department. “We structure the … program around an industry-recognized credential,” Christopher P. Ray, Workforce Development’s executive director for business development, says in a video on the college’s YouTube channel. “Our pre-apprenticeship program is designed to provide foundational topics in manufacturing. The manufacturing pre-apprenticeship can lead to a potential career in almost any manufacturing field.” Students complete the yearlong program through a combination of hands-on work, online study modules and visits to the state-of-the-art labs at the college. Ray is a guiding force behind the college’s second annual Apprenticeship Summit, scheduled from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday in the Bush Campus Center.

Through Workforce Development, Penn College offers leading-edge registered apprenticeship programs for mechatronics technician, CNC precision machinist, industrial manufacturing technician and infrastructure maintenance technician. The college organizes and executes the programs for companies of all sizes, while incorporating state-of-the-art instruction – including streaming video between the college and employers at multiple off-campus locations. Under the program, featured on Penn College’s YouTube channel, apprentices can earn industry credentials, increased income, career advancement and credit toward Penn College degrees. “We have to start training our people to be more effective, more efficient, more productive,” says Eric Ramsay, director of the Apprenticeship and Training office in the state Department of Labor and Industry. If we want to make a better prodct, if we want to serve our customers better, we need more skilled, trained people.” Ramsay will be among the speakers at the college’s second annual Apprenticeship Summit, scheduled from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday in the Bush Campus Center.