The Manufacturers’ Association of York, Pa., announced Tuesday it had been awarded a grant for more than $500,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to expand the ‘Apprenticeship Ecosystem’ throughout South Central Pennsylvania.
The $519,338 grant will help local manufacturers grow a skilled workforce in Adams, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties, the association said. The project will expand the Association’s registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs by adding new employers as well as apprentices and pre-apprentices. The project will also target non-traditional manufacturing populations and the underemployed to boost access to the apprenticeships and manufacturing careers for those populations.
“Manufacturers understand that they need to take control of the workforce development process and to invest in schools, the community, and in programs like this to secure the talent needed to increase economic prosperity in the region,” Mike Granby, vice president of the Manufacturers’ Association’s Board of Directors, said.
The association said the funds will be used for its new Center of Excellence for Apprenticeship and Training, launched last year. Funds will go toward new equipment for the Center’s machine shop to support hands-on learning – the hallmark of registered apprenticeships that combine classroom training, on-the-job training, and mentoring from journey workers.
In 2021, the apprenticeship program trained over 100 apprentices and enrolled more than 80 high school students in pre-apprenticeship programs for the 2021-2022 school year.
“Apprenticeships are a proven model of success for developing skills for both the employer and employee, and with a challenging labor market, apprenticeships are another competitive edge for employers to leverage,” said Tom Palisin, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Association.