ST. MARYS — On Friday, 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 teens learning hands-on skills at a Summer Manufacturing Camp in St. Marys, Elk 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.

“It’s wonderful to see the excitement these students have for manufacturing,” said Weaver. “Manufacturing is one of Pennsylvania’s key industries, and it is vital that we find ways to foster interest in the field so the next generation can continue the commonwealth’s legacy. Providing students the opportunity to explore the many different ways they can work in manufacturing has been a key part of the Wolf Administration’s support of the industry.”

Last month, 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.

“Workforce Solutions for North Central PA appreciates the support from DCED, Labor and Industry and NBT for our career camps,” said Pam Streich, executive director of Workforce Solutions for North Central PA. “As a workforce development board serving the North Central Pennsylvania region, we strive to ensure that local employers have access to a skilled workforce. Part of this work is awareness and career exploration. The career camps and other business education partnership activities that we implement year-round help youth to understand and get excited about the great career opportunities available to them in North Central Pennsylvania. Watching local employers and students interact during these events is exciting and makes our work relevant and rewarding. The commitment of our local employers to these initiatives is overwhelming!”

Gov. 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 at https://dced.pa.gov/ and be sure to stay up-to-date with all their agency news via their Facebook.com/PADCED and Twitter.