Saint Marys, PA – Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Acting Secretary Neil Weaver visited Saint Marys Area High School today in support of the Wolf Administration’s investments in the school’s manufacturing training programs. Acting Secretary Weaver was on hand to celebrate the student-run Dutch Manufacturing program, funded recently by a $200,000 Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) Grant, that is slated to begin in the 2022-23 school year.
“I’m proud that we can support the Dutch Manufacturing program,” said Acting Secretary Weaver. “With this program, students get hands-on experience in the manufacturing industry and will also build relationships with local companies – relationships that will hopefully lead to good jobs in the future.”
Acting Secretary Weaver visited other existing manufacturing training programs at the Elk County school, including Drafting and Design and Precision Machining, and participated in a press conference following the tour to highlight the new Dutch Manufacturing program.
The Dutch Manufacturing program will give qualifying students the opportunity to participate in a manufacturing enterprise that will make actual parts, deliver services and be a part of the supply chain for local manufacturers. Over the course of an academic school year, students will learn about and perform different job functions in manufacturing, develop essential skills, utilize advanced manufacturing technologies and establish relationships with area businesses. The program will engage a total of 210 students over the course of the grant period, from August 2022 to August 2024.
“Manufacturing in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania is critical to our local economy and is relevant on a global scale,” said Dr. Harley Ramsey, Superintendent, Saint Marys Area School District. “This funding will allow the St. Marys Area School District to create unique opportunities for our students to earn and learn in the manufacturing world, guaranteeing a strong future for our rural community.”
Governor Tom Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative was launched in October 2017, and since then has funded 73 projects and invested more than $16.1 million through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant 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.