Gov. Tom Wolf announced Thursday the award of $2 million in Business Education Partnership grants to 18 projects throughout Pennsylvania to provide students with educational opportunities and experiences in in-demand technical fields.
“These funds will strengthen the ties between the classroom and the workplace, allowing students to explore potential careers and learn about the job skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce,” Wolf said. “A global 21st-century economy demands a technically skilled, well-prepared workforce and my administration is committed to helping our young people start out on the right foot to put them on a path to success.”
Business Education Partnerships connect schools and employers to provide an opportunity for workplace shadowing, student internships, and career mentoring experiences regarding technical skills needed for a modern workforce. The grant funding is provided through Local Workforce Development Boards across Pennsylvania.
“Businesses are expanding in Pennsylvania and need skilled workers, which these grants help to provide,” Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jerry Oleksiak said. “Governor Wolf recognizes that developing opportunities for career awareness and students’ exposure to in-demand industries will result in a workforce of highly trained and skilled employees, which is why he has proposed PAsmart – $50 million in new funds to invest in workforce development.”