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Industry Partnerships An industry partnership is a multi-employer collaborative effort that brings together management and labor around the common purpose of improving the competitiveness of a cluster of companies or organizations producing similar products or services and sharing similar supply chains, critical human resource needs, infrastructure requirements, business services, and/or retention/recruitment challenges. The purpose of supporting existing partnerships or organizing new ones is to concentrate attention and resources on particular clusters of industries that provide good wages and benefits, have the greatest potential for economic growth and/or which face serious challenges to growth or retention. By bringing together employers and their workers the public sector can learn significantly and qualitatively more about the opportunities and challenges facing a set of similar companies.The Northeast Pennsylvania Business Education Coalition is committed to supporting the Workforce Investment Board’s within the region in communicating the workforce priorities through its publications and services to schools and employers. The following Industry Clusters are identified by the Commonwealth as priorities. Industry Partner Summary The Life Science Career Alliance The Life Science Career Alliance is a five county regional partnership in Southeastern PA dedicated to ensuring that the life science workforce continues to grow and prosper. The Alliance is supported by hospitals, foundations and the five southeast PA WIBs. Its board includes health care executives, workforce professionals, labor leaders and educational executives. The Alliance assists employers in obtaining training assistance, organizes career awareness activities, and researches trends in both health care and biotechnology. The Southwestern Pennsylvania Manufacturing Initiative This partnership is comprised of four regional WIBs, Duquesne University and economic development partners. The partnership is finalizing a regional strategic plan of action to support manufacturing clusters in a ten county region. Food Processing Education and Training Partnership The Lancaster, Berks and South Central PA WIBs are supporting this agriculture and food processing partnership. Presently, over 15 food processors have come together from a 10 county region. The partnership has identified training needs and is aligning resources and educational resources to met this need. Center of Excellence in Packaging Operations This south central PA regional partnership under the leadership of the Lancaster WIB is working with regional industries that are interested in food packaging. They have completed an assessment of the industry training needs. They are working with educational partners to explore the skill development requirements relating to advanced automation and mechatronics packaging technologies. Health Careers Futures This partnership in Pittsburgh region is working with regional providers to support the healthcare industry. Under the direction of Health Care Futures partnership a study was initiated to investigate how and why healthcare professionals enter their chosen careers. 676 incumbent workers from 13 different hospitals and 131 students in training completed the survey. Results are be used to develop marketing campaigns for a health professions recruitment initiative within the greater Pittsburgh area. Center of Excellence in Wood Finishing The partnership continues to develop a consortium-based incumbent worker training activities to strengthen the lumber and wood products industries in Lancaster County. The committee is finalizing a feasibility study for the development of a lab facility that will be built at the Stevens College of Technology. Diversified Manufacturing Industry Partnership The Central PA WIB has taken a leadership role in organizing this regional partnership. The partnership focused on creating a comprehensive retention and growth strategies that will support the regional modular/manufacturing housing and plastics manufacturers. The partnership continues to align regional resources to meet the educational and business resource needs of these manufacturers. Council of Logistics Management This warehousing, distribution and logistics industry partnership is based in the Lehigh Valley. The partnership works with colleges, the Lehigh WIB, vocational technical schools and regional colleges to assist in the development of certificates and degree programs to encourage students to pursue careers in the logistics industry. The Industry Clusters identified by local Workforce Investment Board within the Northeast region are as follows: Additional information on the Industry Clusters can be obtained from the Pa Workforce Investment Board site at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=575072&mode=2 Northeast Pennsylvania Food Processing Industry Partnership
In response to Governor Rendell’s Job Ready Pennsylvania, the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board, Inc. has established a Food Processing Industry Partnership for the Luzerne, Schuylkill, Lackawanna, Pocono, and Northern Tier Workforce Investment Service areas. The proposed project is intended to create, for the first time, collaboration with the food processing industry partners, workforce investment agencies, local economic development groups, and educational institutions. Through the development of a Food Processing Industry Partnership, the mission is to align economic and workforce development programs to meet the skill needs of businesses, the career goals of workers, and to attract and retain quality employers in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Region.
The industry partnership to date has accomplished the following:
· Established a formal network of industry leaders that meet on a monthly basis.
· Offered a series of training sessions for food processing industry supervisors, managers, and employees.
· Created a Career Pathway Model to help identify key occupations within the local industry and to established a way to allow employees to move up the “career ladder” and to provide the best practices to do so.
· Conducted training needs assessment and SWOT analysis.
· As of September 11, 2008, funded 26 training projects and ungraded skills of over 280 employees.
· Secured over $450,000.00 in grant funding to support the Food Processing segment of Northeast PA.
The benefits of joining include:
v Focus on Training
v Gain “Economies of Scale”
v Share Best Practices
v Pursue Innovation
v Advance the Industry
v Leverage Grant Access
Your organization can effectively use the Northeast PA Food Processing Industry Partnership by:
· Coming to meeting, learning, and giving input!
· Sponsoring a training program at your company and opening it to other members!
· Telling them what training you need!
· Getting involved in charting the course, advancing your company, and the industry as a whole!
For more information about Northeast PA Food Processing Industry Partnership please contact:
Joseph Sebelin, Executive Director
Pocono Counties WIB
76 Susquehanna Street, Suite 1
Jim Thorpe, PA 18229
Phone: 570-325-2462
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(This is the contact for Carbon, Monroe, Pike & Wayne counties) Northeast Regional Healthcare Industry Partnership As part of Governor Rendell’s Job Ready PA initiative, the Northeast Regional Healthcare Industry Partnership received $134,400 in the form of a Healthcare Industry Partnership Grant. The long-term goal for this initiative is to create a sustainable industry partnership that can target training, education and workforce development programs to create higher skilled jobs in the healthcare field and provide long-term earnings and career opportunities for employees. The region currently employs approximately 34,000 employees in the healthcare sector. There are numerous human resource challenges and labor shortages faced by the healthcare employers in the region which include the need for highly skilled workforce, misconceptions about career opportunities and rapidly changing technologies. The industry partnership to date has accomplished the following: · The partnership has brought together a large segment of those involved in the healthcare field including hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health care agencies, assisted living/personal care facilities, government agencies, nonprofit agencies and educational institutions. Focus Group Sessions conducted by PennTAP were held with employers in Towanda, Wellsboro, Pocono’s and Wilkes-Barre. Common challenges, barriers in addressing the challenges, and training needs were identified.
Over 700 youth from 35 school districts were exposed to various health care professions as part of Health Career Week. In partnership with the Coalition for Aging Services of Lackawanna County, a full day seminar was held that included a nationally known speaker, panel of experts, and breakout sessions addressing issues related to aging care.
Partnership Goals: Identify employer training, recruitment and retention needs Facilitate employers to come together for training and education needs Collaboration with secondary schools, parents and career counselors Increase public awareness of career opportunities in healthcare Secure training grant funds to address employer training needs Future Projects: Recruit additional health care employers, labor and education institutions to become participating partners Create a partnership website which will serve as a forum for issues and events Several week-long health career camps are being planned to expose students to various health careers and employment opportunities in the region Develop a marketing campaign to promote growth in the industry Hold several one-day seminars for healthcare workers with a nationally recognized speaker Obtain funding through a Healthcare Partnership Worker Training Grant to address employer training needs. For more information about the Northeast Regional Healthcare Industry Partnership please contact: Joseph Seblin, Executive Director Pocono Counties WIB 76 Susquehanna Street, Suite 1 Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 Phone: 570-325-2462
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(This is the contact for Carbon, Monroe, Pike & Wayne counties) Northeast PA Advanced Materials/Diversified Manufacturing Local Workforce Investment Boards in Northeast Pennsylvania recently received workforce development funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry for the Northeast Pennsylvania Advanced/Diversified Manufacturing Industry Partnership. Organizations who wish to see if they are eligible must complete a training application. Most eligible organizations have a NAICS code beginning with either 32 or 33. The Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Board is the lead applicant of the award. All applications must be sent via email to the PC WIB, Executive Director Joe Sebelin, at
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. Applications will be reviewed and notification of acceptance will be given. All decisions will be made in accordance with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s “Industry Partnership Development and Training Guidelines”. It’s important to note that there is a maximum subsidy of $15,000 per employer. All applications must be accompanied by a contract from your training provider. A 25% cash match of all training costs is required from the employer. In addition the Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Board must receive the 25% cash match prior to the release of training reimbursement to the employer. For more information about the Industry Partnership or to request an application please contact: Joseph Sebelin, Executive Director Pocono Counties WIB 76 Susquehanna Street, Suite 1 Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 Phone: 570-325-2462
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(This is the contact for Carbon, Monroe, Pike & Wayne counties)
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