Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced more than $650,000 in new funding that will connect apprentices with classroom training leading to good-paying jobs through Pennsylvania’s Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program (Apprenticeship Program), a statewide program that offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs.

“This funding supports programs designed specifically to offer the relevant and necessary trainings and certifications required to ensure apprentices are fully prepared and qualified to join the workforce,” said Gov. Wolf. “My administration remains committed to backing apprenticeship opportunities throughout the commonwealth that assist apprentices in achieving the training necessary to secure a good-paying job.”

Allegheny County

Catalyst Connection will be awarded $60,000 for its Industrial Manufacturing Technician (IMT) apprenticeship program, which is now registered for adoption by small- and medium-sized manufacturers in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The hybrid IMT apprenticeship provides production workers with the knowledge and competencies needed in the advanced manufacturing environment. The funding will support ten apprentices from small manufacturing employers. The apprenticeship includes 3,000 hours of instruction over a two-year period and trains apprentices in a combination of related instruction and on-the-job training to train workers to set up, operate, monitor, and control production equipment; help improve manufacturing processes and schedules to meet customer requirements; and understand manufacturing as a business system that integrates multiple disciplines, processes, and stakeholders.

“Apprenticeship programs are critical to our region’s manufacturing community, where workers have the opportunity to earn a good wage, while learning critical manufacturing skills and competencies. We are excited to be able to support apprentices that are building a better future for themselves and their families”, said President and CEO of Catalyst Connection Petra Mitchell.

The Associated Master Plumbers of Allegheny County (AMPAC) will be awarded $297,000 to address the lack of trained plumbing professionals available to fill the role of recently retired professionals in the seven-county region surrounding Pittsburgh. The AMPAC’s facility will offer training with reduced tuition and attendance fees and provide prints and necessary classroom supplies, shop materials, and code books for 30 apprentices within a three-year program.

“The AMPAC apprenticeship program was established to increase the number of Master Plumbers within the seven-county region of Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania,” said AMPAC President John Cummins. “AMPAC plans to achieve this goal of an increase in local plumbers by establishing a few target areas of need. The target areas are reducing tuition and attendance fees, assistance with the cost of educator salaries, and to provide needed material to the students of AMPAC and the teaching facility. Through the financial support that this grant provides, AMPAC will use those resources to implement this strategy. AMPAC greatly appreciates the grant funding and looks forward to being a part of this valuable program.”

Delaware County

The Philadelphia Suburban Association of Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors (PSA PHCC) will be awarded $297,000 for its Plumbing Apprenticeship School to train 30 apprentices a year from 2021-2024. The apprentices will train in one of the only non-union plumbers and HVAC trade schools in Eastern Pennsylvania. The program will provide collegial alternative training and prepare students for a job that will offer family-sustaining wages. The apprentices will be trained in a school or college type of environment, focusing on nightly classes and day-time hands-on trainings. The educational practices will include classroom trainings, shop class exercises, and necessary certifications for their career in the plumbing field.

“PSA PHCC is excited to continue its DCED-funded apprentice program. It is with their help that we will be able to provide the greater Philadelphia area with desperately needed plumbers, filling in-demand jobs,” said PSA PHCC President Ben Levenger.

The Apprenticeship Program works to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development. Funding is provided to eligible applicants for the purpose of reaching the goal of increasing apprenticeship accessibility across the state. Eligible uses of funds include expenses related to instruction that complements on-the-job learning.

For more information about the Wolf Administration’s commitment to manufacturing or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov Casey Smith, DCED, casesmith@pa.gov

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