College of technology receives grant for its plastics center

The Appalachian Regional Commission recently awarded Pennsylvania College of Technology an $85,137 grant that will go toward the purchase state-of-the-art injection molding equipment for its Plastics Innovation and Resource Center.

The grant was matched by local contribution, bringing the total to $170,274.

“Penn Tech is one of the nation’s leading post-secondary career and technical institutions and our team often hears about employers in central and northeastern Pennsylvania looking to hire Penn Tech graduates because of their incredible training,” U.S. Rep. Fred Keller (R-PA) said.

The equipment will allow students and those looking for the most up-to-date skills in plastic injection molding to have the latest equipment and remain on the cutting edge of plastics education, Keller said.

The college’s new equipment will be used by 20 students and 60 workers who will learn the development, manufacture, and improvement of injection-molded products.

The college will purchase the equipment soon, according to Shannon Munro, vice president for workforce development at the college, and equipment should be in place by December. The equipment will be for students to use during the Spring 2021 semester.

Only five other institutions in the United States offer plastics degrees accredited by the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission.