Develop a skilled workforce that meets the needs of Pennsylvania's business community
"Pennsylvania has a lot to be proud of. Businesses are expanding, the economy is growing, and we’re setting all-time jobs records. But we have unfilled jobs and workers who need new, more advanced training."-Governor Tom Wolf
Why is this goal important?
Pennsylvania faces a changing economy that's placing new demands on our workers and businesses. Employers are hiring, but the job-skills gap in today's workforce too often leads to a shortage of qualified job candidates. At the same time, too many workers are employed in low-wage jobs and lack the training they need to compete for in-demand careers. To meet these common challenges, state government, the education sector, labor, and industry must all work together to close the skills gap and build a well-trained workforce.
What are we working on to reach this goal?
Governor
Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative was launched
in October 2017, and since then has funded 56 projects and invested more than
$12 million through the Training-to-Career program. Training-to-Career grants
support projects that result in short-term work-readiness, job placement, or
the advancement of manufacturing. In 2021, new funding was made available to
support the Manufacturing
Training-to-Career (MTTC) program to help
businesses develop programs that bring awareness to careers and opportunities
within the state’s manufacturing industry and support companies in
identifying and training a skilled workforce through targeted programs and
service. Continuing the rollout of his groundbreaking PAsmart
initiative, Governor Tom Wolf
announced $10.8 million in PAsmart Advancing Grants to expand access to
computer science and STEM education for Pennsylvania learners. Combined with
PAsmart Targeted Grants announced in 2020, the Wolf administration has
awarded nearly $20 million to bolster STEM and computer science (CS) in
schools during the 2020-21 school year. Additionally, the 2020-24
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Plan has prioritized five broad goals for the workforce
development system.
How are we doing?
The chart below shows the number of trainings provided to Pennsylvania workers through the following state-supported programs: Local Government Training Partnership (LGTP), Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (PREP), and the Workforce & Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA).
Related Measures
Wage Gains from Training
The chart below shows the overall percentage change in wages for Industry Partnerships participants one year after they completed training.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
The chart below shows the employment rate for adult beneficiaries of the WIOA.
Related Content
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