Industry Partnerships Articles

A $4 million federal grant will empower Pennsylvania College of Technology to continue serving as a key provider of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training programs statewide and beyond in response to employer demand for more workers in advanced manufacturing. The Apprenticeship Building America grant was announced today during a U.S. Department of Labor event with remarks delivered by Julie Su, acting secretary of labor, and Neera Tanden, White House domestic policy advisor.

Penn College hosted some of the best young welders in the nation last week. The college’s 55,000-square-foot welding facility served as the home for two national competitions, conducted by Project MFG, a skilled-trades advocacy group. A mix of high school and trade school students from throughout the country competed in the National Welding League Championship and the Maritime National Championship, both offering prizes that included $10,000 for first place.

Representatives from Metzger McGuire, a leader in interior industrial concrete repair products, provided live concrete repair demonstrations to students in the Concrete Construction class. The company’s Pat Smith and Dan Kraff gave students hands-on practice using Metzger McGuire’s products to repair surface damage and damaged joints – and donated materials to the concrete science program.

Lycoming Engines recently employed the talents of Penn College students for a project that will have lasting benefits for the renowned company. As part of a class project, welding students fabricated an access platform designed by Tyler J. Gustafson, majoring in engineering design technology. The aluminum structure will span between two new Okuma LU-45 twin-turret lathes, intended to help expand Lycoming’s internal cylinder barrel manufacturing capacity.

Sen. Nick Miller, a Democrat whose 14th senatorial district comprises portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties, visited Penn College Thursday, taking in a variety of instructional areas along with members of his staff, college administrators, and state Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), who chairs the Penn College Board of Directors, and his staff. Coincidentally, Miller’s campus call overlapped with a visit by Christine M. Martin, president of PPL Electric Utilities, and other PPL employees.

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Construction Management Association was named Student Chapter of the Year during the Associated Builders and Contractors Convention, held March 13-15 in Orlando, Florida. The ABC Student Chapter of the Year award recognizes an outstanding chapter for its accomplishments in programming, community service, communications/public relations, and interaction with its sponsoring ABC Chapter.

For the second consecutive year, Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs is supporting a Pennsylvania College of Technology summer camp that introduces high school students to rewarding manufacturing careers. Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the charitable foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, has provided a $4,000 grant for the college to host Tinker Camp, a program for students entering grades 9-12.

Diesel and heavy equipment students are being sought as technicians by Highway Equipment & Supply Co. when it visits the Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Wednesday. Weekly pop-up employer information tables are coordinated by Penn College Career Services.

More than 75% of employers nationwide rate the job market for the Class of 2024 as “good to excellent.” Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Spring Career Fair confirmed that healthy prognosis, delivered by a National Association of Colleges and Employers survey. More than 430 companies, offering thousands of jobs and internships in a range of fields, met with 1,333 students throughout the Feb. 27-28 event, divided between the college’s Bardo Gymnasium and Field House.

The delicious duo of beer and food was explored at the first “Cooking with Class: Meet the Brew Masters” event, held recently in Le Jeune Chef Restaurant on Pennsylvania College of Technology's campus. The evening featured a reception, a tour of the college’s brewing & fermentation science lab, and a three-course dinner paired with beers provided by New Trail Brewing. Proceeds from the gathering are supporting the brewing & fermentation science major.