News about Workforce Development & Continuing Education

Required Testing Underway for Admission to Area Nursing Program

Is a rewarding career in nursing in your future? The Penn College at Wellsboro Practical Nursing Program is scheduling pre-admission testing for the January session.

All applications are due by Oct. 1 for that next class, and pre-admission testing must be completed before the application process begins.

The yearlong, full-time program – offered through Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology – prepares graduates for career opportunities in area hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, personal-care facilities and human-service organizations.

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College Names Director of Workforce Development at Wellsboro

Jason P. Zielewicz

Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology has appointed Jason P. Zielewicz as director, workforce development at Wellsboro.

Zielewicz served for the past three years as a client development specialist for WDCE. He will oversee continued expansion of programming offered in the Northern Tier and Wellsboro.

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Penn College Apprenticeship Programs Get State Grant Support

Pennsylvania College of Technology continues to lead the region in addressing the skills gap through apprenticeship programs, and a $49,523 capacity-building grant awarded to the college by the state Department of Labor & Industry will help assist those efforts.

The funding, announced this week by Gov. Tom Wolf, will be used to support two Penn College registered apprenticeship programs: one each in mechatronics and computer numerical control. The high-demand programs will serve the needs of at least 40 apprentices from at least 14 companies.

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Innovative Collaboration Allows More Convenient PLC Instruction

Sixteen people are enrolled in a 96-hour Programmable Logic Controller program offered through a partnership between Penn College Workforce Development & Continuing Education and Workforce Solutions.

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Practical Nursing Information Sessions to Be Held

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

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Outreach Practical Nursing Program, based in the Wellsboro Area School District, will host an information session for those interested in nursing as a career. The session will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 26, in the former music room of the district’s administration building.

Julie Mansfield, coordinator of the program, will discuss admission requirements; application, tuition and financial aid processes; licensure; and job opportunities for graduates. There will be an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.

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EMT Course Scheduled for Three Sites in Area

An Emergency Medical Technician course, beginning the week of Aug. 20, will be offered at three locations by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The course meets 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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Summit at Penn College to Explore Value of Industry Apprenticeships

An educational roundtable on the benefits of apprenticeships – closing skills gaps, retaining workers and attracting new employees – will be held May 3 at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Sponsored by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College, the 2018 Apprenticeship Summit will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Penn’s Inn on the second floor of the Bush Campus Center. Experienced industry representatives and partners will discuss the processes of organizing, sponsoring, funding and providing apprenticeship programs.

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Get Noticed by Gas Industry Employers

Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering training to people seeking employment in the natural gas and energy industry. In addition to learning industry employability skills and gaining three industry-recognized certifications, students will be connected to employers who have immediate hiring needs. 

Scholarships are available to those who qualify on a first-come, first-served basis. The training is delivered by Penn College as a result of its award-winning ShaleNET partnership.

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Microsoft Office Courses Scheduled at Penn College

For those looking to sharpen their computer skills while learning something new, Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering several easy-to-comprehend computer courses.

The Microsoft Office courses are taught by qualified instructors at a comfortable pace for all levels of adult learners. The small, noncredit classes are held in a relaxed classroom environment, allowing participants to learn, experiment and ask questions. Courses are hands-on, with each participant working at a computer station.

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Variety of Noncredit Adobe Classes Available at Penn College

Three classes covering a variety of creative tools in the Adobe family of software applications will be offered in March by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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Chevron Continues Support for Penn College

Chevron adds to investment in Penn College.

With a new gift of more than $150,000, Chevron Appalachia funding for Pennsylvania College of Technology scholarships and outreach in energy and manufacturing has surpassed $550,000.

Through its Workforce Development & Continuing Education office, Penn College recently was awarded funding of $150,302 from Chevron; the college has now received a total of $550,987 from Chevron’s Appalachia Partnership Initiative.

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Penn College Course to Help Prepare Students for SATs

Bruce A. Wehler, assistant professor of English-composition at Penn College – shown during a 2017 session – will again be among the instructors for a series of SAT Preparation classes beginning in March.

Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering a course to help high school students better prepare for the standardized test used as an admissions tool by many institutions of higher learning.

The course will guide students toward success on the SAT through live instruction, self-paced learning and individual interaction with a professional instructor. The focus will be on math, English and reading, with an optional writing session available for those who wish to review and practice their college-ready skills with a Penn College faculty member.

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New Year Begins at ‘College of Tomorrow-Makers’

Taking “a trip down memory lane” through 20 years of change since her first all-college speech as then-interim president, Davie Jane Gilmour officially ushered in the Spring 2018 semester with a Friday all-college message for faculty and staff: “Do not doubt for a moment that we are a force with which to be reckoned.” Detailing two decades’ worth of growth – in such far-reaching areas as enrollment and retention, facilities, credibility for intercollegiate athletics, and workforce development – she reminded faculty and staff of their vital role in shaping the future. “I am confident history will write that we made a difference,” the president told her morning audience. “That our students were innovative, tenacious and hardworking and made their mark in their careers and in life.”

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College Names Operations/Special Projects Director for WDCE

Beth M. Bittenbender

Pennsylvania College of Technology recently appointed Beth M. Bittenbender as operations/special projects director for Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College, which partners with companies to provide short-term training and project support.

Bittenbender brings more than 25 years of management and continuous improvement experience, as well as an Innovation Engineering Black Belt, to the newly created post. She will work closely with WDCE’s professional staff to coordinate training and project support to industries across Pennsylvania and beyond.

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No-Cost PLC Training Available at Multiple Regional Locations

Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Technology is offering a 96-hour Programmable Logic Controller training at no cost to participants at multiple sites in northcentral Pennsylvania.

This program is made available with funding from Workforce Solutions for North Central Pennsylvania, the Workforce Development Board serving Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties. Workforce Solutions, through a customer-centered approach, collaborates with partners to design innovative workforce strategies.

The program starts Jan. 29 and ends April 4, and is scheduled from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology is a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University