PPL has provided $13,000 toward the purchase of trainers to enhance the knowledge and skills of mechatronics students, whether they are enrolled in academic majors or are completing apprenticeship programs offered by Workforce Development at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
The grant funding enabled the college to purchase mechanical and hydraulic components to increase training-unit capacity, as well as a flammable-liquid cabinet to satisfy safety requirements.
About 100 electrical students per semester are benefiting from seven revamped labs at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Housed in the Electrical Technologies Center, one of the oldest buildings on campus, the labs feature the latest industry-standard equipment and provide individual instructional stations for students enrolled in one of several electrical programs.
“We’re really excited because we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the lab work we can do because of the space that we have,” said Stacey C. Hampton, assistant dean of industrial and computer technologies. “I think somebody coming in this year and moving through is going to see and do more than we were able to offer before.”
Pennsylvania College of Technology recently revamped more than a half-dozen labs in its Electrical Technologies Center. The labs, which serve four electrical degree programs, consist of new equipment and scores of individual work stations for students. About 100 students per semester receive vital hands-on experience in the industry-standard labs – including Tyler J. Snook, a mechatronics major from Williamsport. “In this field where everything is hands-on, if you don’t get any of that experience, you’ll get out there and someone will be like, ‘Hey, work on this,” and you’ll have no idea where to begin,” he says in a video about the labs’ comprehensive upgrade.
Four Pennsylvania College of Technology students are among 14 nationwide to receive scholarships from a foundation dedicated to promoting skilled manufacturing careers.
The $1,500 to $2,500 scholarships from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International, are for full-time students enrolled in an engineering or manufacturing-related course of study.
Career Day brought hundreds of ninth-12th graders to campus on Thursday to explore more than 30 activities offered by employees and students to help high-schoolers learn about the wide variety of career options available to them. The event is coordinated by the College Transitions and First Year Initiatives Office.
A half-dozen students in two of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s academic schools are among 36 recipients of financial assistance from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute’s Rees Scholarship Foundation.
Sharing a total of $8,000 are Peter W. Bennett, of Sea Cliff, New York, and Christopher J. Milliken, of Bellefonte, majoring in heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology; Luke Samuel Mika Brambley, of Breezewood, and Aiden Chestnut, of Aston, enrolled in heating, ventilation and air conditioning design technology; and building automation technology students Austin R. Reynolds, of Enola, and Adam J. Tarnowski, of Shickshinny.
A Pennsylvania College of Technology student has received a $4,000 scholarship from PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.
Levi E. Pomeroy, of Dillsburg, is one of 17 students nationwide selected for the scholarship, which requires students to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a career plan in packaging and processing machinery manufacturing, as well as a record of past awards and recognition and industry involvement through internship and career development activities.
Pennsylvania College of Technology is introducing a new path for career success in the electrical field. Applications are being accepted for the electrical construction associate degree, which will begin in Fall 2020.
The degree reflects the college’s time-honored commitment of adjusting curriculum to address workforce needs, as identified by faculty with strong ties to industry and advisory committees of in-field professionals. The college has a 95% three-year graduate placement rate.
Nine students from Pennsylvania College of Technology’s SkillsUSA team earned medals in six categories – three silvers and three bronzes – during the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, from June 24-29.
“The students represented themselves and the college well, and it showed with the number of medals we returned home with,” said SkillsUSA adviser James N. Colton II, an assistant professor of welding. “I look forward to next year and the students that we will have competing.”
The approved 2019-20 state budget delivers appropriation funding to Pennsylvania College of Technology reflecting its long history of success in producing skilled workers, while leveling the playing field with other publicly funded institutions in the commonwealth, the college’s board chair said Friday.
“Finally, Penn College is being recognized for the invaluable hands-on education and training it provides to students, who become highly skilled members of the workforce – addressing the skills gap that continues to impact industry and hinder the economy,” said Sen. Gene Yaw, chairman of the college’s Board of Directors. “All we have ever asked for is to be treated with parity in funding with other state institutions. With this budget, we have made real progress.”
Seniors and their faculty mentors (from left) are Langer, Anstadt, Bean, Peck, Blose, Carr, Klodnicki and Whitmyer.
Five Penn College students were recognized this month by the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association for classroom success, dedication to the construction industry and the high standards with which they conduct themselves. Honored during a meeting at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore were Hunter M. Bean, of McElhattan, heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis; Matthew E. Blose, of Williamsport, residential construction technology and management: building construction technology concentration; Corey J. Carr, of Pulaski, Virginia, heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology; Kurtis J. Klodnicki, of Danville, building construction technology and building construction technology: masonry emphasis; and Eric J. Langer, of New City, New York, electrical technology. Graduating seniors are traditionally nominated for the awards by faculty from their respective academic areas, then recognized by the association for their hard work and commitment to entering the industry. Levon A. Whitmyer, instructor of building construction technology, introduced the students to WBSBA members and handed out the awards. He also spoke on behalf of Blose, Carr and Klodnicki. Ryan W. Peck, diesel equipment technology instructor, represented Bean; Eric L. Anstadt, a faculty member in electrical technology occupations, offered an endorsement of Langer. Each of the student winners received a cash prize and was awarded a 4-foot level engraved with his name. “The students also got an opportunity to mingle with the members, increasing their professional network as they get ready to enter the construction industry,” Whitmyer said. “A big ‘thank you’ to West Branch for providing the support to help these students be recognized for their dedication to their craft.” Photo provided
The empowering combination of applied technology education and financial support was celebrated Sunday afternoon, as Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted its second annual Scholarship Luncheon in the campus Field House.
“I am overwhelmed by the collective energies in this room to transform tomorrow,” President Davie Jane Gilmour said, addressing students, families and donors alike. Announcing that the coming academic year will include the largest total amount of scholarships awarded in any one year during the college’s history, she thanked attendees for their significant role in helping students succeed.
Michael Bower, a graduate of Williamsport Area Community College and president of TurnKey Electric Inc., received an Alumni of the Year Award at the 18th annual Education Celebration hosted by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce on Thursday evening.
The award – presented during a Williamsport Country Club event that highlights the crucial linkages among business and industry, local school districts and colleges – is given to a graduate who has made a significant contribution to the quality of life in Lycoming County, has excelled in his or her own profession, and is active in the community.
Rewarding career opportunities await for graduates of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s electrical programs: associate degrees in electrical technology and mechatronics and a bachelor’s degree in building automation technology. All three majors blend theory with considerable hands-on lab experience to produce graduates who are real-world ready. In fact, as noted in a new video on the college’s YouTube channel, many students secure jobs prior to graduation. “I think Penn College is doing a great job of introducing … students to the high level of technology within our industry,” says Matt Holbert, director of engineering for NRG Controls North. “Students coming out of there are sharp.”
