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 three information sessions for those considering nursing as a career: Jan. 19, Feb. 2 and Feb. 15, all at 6:30 p.m. The sessions will be held at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St., and will be connected to the Potter County Education Center via Zoom.

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The funeral was this past week for George P. Wolfe Sr., a retired associate professor of computer information technology, who died Dec. 19 at the age of 92.

Wolfe, whose career encompassed Pennsylvania College of Technology and both of its predecessor institutions, implemented and taught the first computer curriculum – then called engineering and design data processing technology – at Williamsport Technical Institute in 1963.

He served as director of Williamsport Area Community College’s new Academic Computing Division from 1984 to 1989, when he became the first director of Penn College’s Technology Transfer Center (the forerunner of Workforce Development).

A full obituary is available through the Spitler Funeral Home, Montoursville.

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier on Tuesday toured Indiana County’s River Valley STEAM Academy, a workforce development education model that partners with Pennsylvania College of Technology, among others, to prepare students for in-demand careers, including cybersecurity, electrical occupations, and sports medicine and rehabilitative therapy.

“With unemployment at historic lows in Pennsylvania, the tight labor market means that workers have options – which is a wonderful thing. It also means that some employers are struggling to find skilled workers for some of the most in-demand jobs. That’s why investment in Pennsylvania’s workforce is so important to our collective future,” Berrier said. “I applaud the River Valley School District for giving students the opportunity to explore careers and build job skills that are immediately relevant to the workforce needs of today and tomorrow. Pennsylvania as a whole will benefit from the innovative education offered at River Valley’s STEAM Academy.”

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Jake C. Beatty volunteered for the class project because it sounded “cool.” Turns out, he was right.

The result was an invaluable experience for the manufacturing student at Pennsylvania College of Technology and will benefit those who follow his path.

Beatty, of Grove City, designed a vacuum-form mold that – with the assistance of a tooling company and the Penn College plastics department – resulted in the manufacturing of bed protection covers for milling machines used for practical instruction in the college’s Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center.

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Barney A. Kahn IV’s Construction Materials & Applications II (BTC118) students visited the Clean Energy Center’s energy efficiency lab for a blower door demonstration on Monday.

“As I mostly teach people who are working on existing structures, it is a welcome treat to talk to students who will be involved in the design and build of new construction homes,” said Franklin D. Gillis, a building science instructional specialist at the center. “I particularly enjoy it when they see how the home works as a whole and not just their piece of the puzzle.”

A blower door is a diagnostic tool used by home energy professionals to determine how airtight a home is and how much air is entering or escaping the residence. Blower door testing aids home energy professionals in selecting and installing energy-saving improvements, as air leakage has a direct impact on how much energy is required to heat and cool a home.

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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 four information sessions for those considering nursing as a career: Nov. 10, Nov. 21, Dec. 1 and Dec. 12, all at 6:30 p.m. The sessions will be held at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St., and will be connected to the Potter County Education Center via Zoom.

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Evoking the institution’s rich history and committing to serve as an innovative trailblazer for tomorrow, Pennsylvania College of Technology inaugurated Michael J. Reed as its eighth president Friday afternoon at the Community Arts Center.

Reed received Penn College’s presidential medallion from his predecessor, President Emeritus Davie Jane Gilmour, and state Sen. Gene Yaw, chairman of the board of directors, in front of about 400 attendees, including faculty and staff, students, alumni, industry partners, and visiting college and university delegates.

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Despite being squarely in the theatrical spotlight during his inauguration as the newest leader of Pennsylvania College of Technology, Michael J. Reed was quick to divert that attention and look far beyond his own monumental day.

“The next chapter in our institution’s rich history is not about its president,” he said, “it remains steadfastly focused on students, mission and team. A chapter ignited by our past, inspired by tomorrow and committed to a ‘Future Made by Hand.’ With your invaluable input and support, I look forward to us seizing opportunities and solidifying (our) standing as an innovator, trailblazer and national leader in applied technology education.”

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An Emergency Medical Technician course, beginning the week of Jan. 9 and running through early May, 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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Replicating the career-building advice and opportunities that Penn College’s industry partners regularly offer students, one of the institution’s steadfast corporate colleagues held a professional development session for staff this past week.

Chris Kowalewski, chief growth officer with Compass Group and a member of the college’s Hospitality Advisory Committee, discussed “The Art of Sales” – characteristics of an artful seller, enhancement of the customer experience and understanding clients’ motivation – with College Relations and Workforce Development employees.

He encouraged his audience to maintain a sense of ownership throughout the entire process with a customer, and highlighted the power of tailoring simple and memorable position statements.

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Learn to run your business better when Pennsylvania College of Technology offers two levels of QuickBooks accounting software classes this fall.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Education has awarded Pennsylvania College of Technology a PAsmart Advancing Computer Science and STEM Education Grant.

The $314,440 grant is part of a Department of Education initiative to help regions grow partnerships between LEAs (Local Education Agencies), higher-education institutions, businesses, early childhood institutions, community groups, and other computer science/STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-focused organizations.

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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 three information sessions for those interested in nursing as a career: July 28, Aug. 3 and Aug. 17, all at 6:30 p.m.  The sessions will be held at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Wellsboro campus, 22 Walnut St., and will be connected to the Potter County Education Center via Zoom.

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Two representatives of Pennsylvania College of Technology traveled to the nation’s capital on July 13, detailing the institution’s efforts to meet the challenges of recruiting and preparing students for careers as qualified technicians in the increasingly complex world of hybrid and electric vehicles.

Among those sharing their insightful perspectives during the morning roundtable in Washington, D.C., were Bradley M. Webb, Penn College’s dean of engineering technologies, and Christopher J. Holley, an assistant professor of automotive technology.

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A dozen plastics professionals representing five companies benefited from a recent weeklong workshop hosted by Pennsylvania College of Technology and its renowned Plastics Innovation & Resource Center.

The Injection Molding Processing Series combined lecture and hands-on experience in covering decoupled molding setup and operation and the injection molding process. Through real-world examples and troubleshooting sessions, participants learned how the mold, machine and plastic material all play a role in the molding of plastics parts.

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