News about Workforce Development

WELLSBORO, Pa. – Excellent career opportunities for licensed practical nurses exist in area hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, personal care facilities and human service organizations.

Penn College at Wellsboro’s Practical Nursing Program will host information sessions for those interested in nursing as a career. Sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 15, and Thursday, Aug. 5, at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St.

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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.

Plastics professionals from throughout the country sharpened their skills and enhanced their knowledge at a recent workshop hosted by Pennsylvania College of Technology and its acclaimed Plastics Innovation & Resource Center.

The Rotational Molding & Advanced Materials Workshop offered a mix of lecture and hands-on instruction for 30 individuals representing 11 states and numerous companies. Seventeen attended the two-day course in person, and 13 participated remotely.

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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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Future health care professionals have access to a learning tool that simulates respiratory symptoms likely to be encountered in the field, thanks to a $2,500 sustaining grant from PPL Foundation to Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The 2020 contribution enabled purchase of a lung sounds simulator, which mimics real-life scenarios essential to educating health care providers.

“PPL is pleased to partner with Penn College to help enhance training for current and aspiring health care professionals,” said Tracie L. Witter, regional affairs director.  “We appreciate the efforts of Penn College Workforce Development to help improve the skills of our community’s front-line workers.”

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An Emergency Medical Technician course, beginning the week of Aug. 16 and running through early December, will be offered at three locations by Workforce Development at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The course meets the National Emergency Medical Services Educational Standards and Instructional Guidelines and is intended to prepare students for National Registry cognitive and psychomotor examinations at the EMT level.

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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.

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WELLSBORO – Excellent career opportunities for licensed practical nurses exist in area hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, personal care facilities and human service organizations.

Penn College at Wellsboro’s Practical Nursing Program will host information sessions for those interested in nursing as a career. Sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St.; and at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 8, at the Potter County Education Council Building, 5 Water St., Coudersport.

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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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Penn College’s vice president for workforce development was among the guests on this week’s “Keystone Edition – Business,” a public affairs program broadcast by the region’s public television affiliate. Shannon M. Munro joined Annette Weiss, assistant dean of nursing and chief nurse administrator at Misericordia University, and Sara Maaske, senior director of product at Penn Foster, on a WVIA-TV panel moderated by host Kris Jones. With Baby Boomers retiring from the skilled trades and a shortage of younger workers to take their places, the panelists brainstormed strategies for addressing the issue. “We go about solving the skills-gap problem at Penn College from multiple directions,” Munro said. “Graduating students that have the skills that are needed in the workforce when they complete, but also helping companies who are continuously needing to train their current workforce because the climate is constantly changing.” She also provided an overview of the college’s far-reaching apprenticeship program, funded by an $8 million U.S. Department of Labor grant and benefiting such companies as First Quality and West Pharmaceutical Services. A replay of the series’ “Trading Up” episode is available through WVIA OnDemand and through WVIA’s Facebook page.

The National Sustainable Structures Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology, a leading provider of building performance and energy-efficiency training in the mid-Atlantic, has rebranded to mirror the rapid transformation of the energy workforce.

At the heart of the rebranding is a name change to the Clean Energy Center at Penn College.

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The addition of two automation degrees is powering a new electronics lab at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Located in the Center for Business & Workforce Development, the 906-square-foot space is accommodating about 60 students per semester who are seeking an automation engineering technology baccalaureate degree in either mechatronics or robotics.

“Industry was telling us that they liked what our students were doing, but they were looking for more because of the growth of automation in industry,” said Stacey C. Hampton, assistant dean of industrial and computer technologies. “We looked at what we already had and how we could expand on that. When we expanded the program, we needed to expand the space. Now that we put stuff in there, I don’t know if it’s big enough!”

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The addition of two automation engineering technology baccalaureate degrees is powering a new electronics laboratory at Penn College. The lab is equipped with 16 student-installed Programmable Logic Controller stations (featuring both Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs), four Kuka industrial robots and a conveyer system. “We recruited the whole class that came in now, these freshmen, without having that lab,” said Stacey C. Hampton, assistant dean of industrial and computer technologies. “So having that lab now is just going to add another layer of excitement. They can see all the learning stations. They can see the robots. They can see the conveyer system.” The lab is for the “tomorrow makers” seeking an automation degree in either mechatronics or robotics.

An Emergency Medical Technician course, beginning the week of Jan. 19 and running through early May, will be offered at four locations by Workforce Development at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The course meets the National Emergency Medical Services Educational Standards and Instructional Guidelines and is intended to prepare students for National Registry cognitive and psychomotor examinations at the EMT level.

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Two members of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Workforce Development department were featured during the ninth annual Workforce Solutions Symposium held Aug. 5-6 by the Virginia-based Manufacturing Skills Institute.

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