Wolf Administration’s workforce training efforts help more than 2,200 companies

The incumbent worker training program, funded through the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), supported more than 44,000 employees at more than 800 companies throughout Pennsylvania this past year, according to impact figures presented by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The training program has assisted a total of 120,000 employees at 2,245 companies across the commonwealth since the beginning of the Wolf Administration through June 2017. A total of more than $25 million in DCED funding has supported the workforce training program.

“Workforce development is one of this administration’s top priorities due to its enormous benefits for both employers and workers,” Wolf said. “Incumbent workforce training programs not only help businesses ensure that their employees have the skills they need to thrive in their work, but it also benefits workers who can use the training as a way to gain expertise that leads to higher-paying jobs. We’re proud to have supported training that has led to more than 120,000 success stories for Pennsylvania workers.”

DCED provides funding for incumbent worker training through the Workforce & Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania program, which is administered through a network of educational partners throughout the commonwealth.

By focusing on a company’s incumbent or existing workforce, the DCED program works as a complement to other workforce initiatives seeking for talent development, such as apprenticeship programs, STEM education, and career and technical education. Incumbent training also helps current employees adapt better to a changing global economy, allowing them to grow with the company. This, in turn, decreases the employee turnover rate as the company will not need to constantly hire brand new employees.

“In order to strengthen their workforce, more and more companies are looking inward at how to develop their own employees, rather than outward through hiring new ones,” Thomas Venditti, statewide director of the Workforce & Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania, said. “This program is a valuable resource for businesses looking to develop their workers because it enables companies to expand their employees’ skill sets, teach them new technology, and create a more productive environment.”

The incumbent worker training program is an important piece in Wolf’s initiatives designed to strengthen the Pennsylvania workforce, arming them with the skills to embrace the changing global technological and financial environment.