Develop a skilled workforce that meets the needs of Pennsylvania's business community

With the commonwealth on a comeback, Governor Wolf is committed to building the strongest workforce in the nation. He approved more than $11 million in funding through the new Manufacturing PA initiative for 78 new training programs across Pennsylvania to give more than 1,470 job-seekers the skills they need to secure a stable, high-paying job in manufacturing. Governor Wolf announced the approval of funding for the Iron Worker Apprenticeship Workforce Expansion Program to provide opportunities for young men and women to begin careers as ironworkers.  As part of his PAsmart initiative, Governor Wolf provided a $6 million increase, $3 million annually, to the Department of Labor & Industry’s successful Industry Partnerships program, which connects similar businesses with educational and economic development partners to provide job training. In early 2019, the governor created the Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center to address the skills gap and worker shortages by expanding collaboration between government and businesses. In his 2020-21 budget proposal, the governor requests a $2 million increase in funding for the Workforce and Economic Development Network of PA (WEDnetPA) program, which assists companies with developing their workforce by providing training to incumbent employees.