Williamsport, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Acting Secretary Neil Weaver highlighted the Wolf Administration’s continued investments in Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry during a visit with students learning hands-on skills at the Thingamajig Pre-College Program Summer Manufacturing Camp in Williamsport, Lycoming County. The camp was funded in part through a Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program (MTTC) grant received by Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT)a charitable foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International.
“The Wolf Administration is proud to support camps like these and introduce the next generation to different ways they can work in the manufacturing industry,” said Sec. Weaver. “It’s exciting to be here today to see first-hand the excitement and enthusiasm these students have for manufacturing. From what I’ve seen here today, the future of Pennsylvania manufacturing is in very good hands.”
In May, Governor Tom Wolf announced $79,050 in MTTC funding for NBT to hold six Summer Manufacturing Camps in 2022 and 12 camps in 2023. Each summer camp is designed to increase public awareness of manufacturing careers in its region and provide a fun and enriching setting for students to engage in manufacturing.
The Thingamajig Pre-College Program is being held at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport and is for students entering grades 9-12. Participants will receive hands-on experience with 3D design software, machining, computer numerical control (CNC) automation and welding. These new skills will be used to build a hammer, punch set and toolbox.
“The skills gap in manufacturing is very real. It’s estimated that we could have more than two million unfilled manufacturing jobs by 2030,” said Kathy D. Chesmel, Assistant Dean of Materials Science and Engineering Technology at Penn College. “The Thingamajig Pre-College Program is a tremendous opportunity to introduce students to the rich possibilities available to them in a variety of manufacturing sectors.”
Governor Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative was launched in October 2017 and since then has funded 77 projects and invested more than $16.6 million through the MTTC program.
Training-to-Career grants support projects that result in short-term work-readiness, job placement, or the advancement of manufacturing. The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry-level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.
For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to manufacturing, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitterand LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov
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