Skills Gap Articles

Millions of technically skilled positions go unfilled each year. The answer? Hands-on education. Thanks to pre-apprenticeship programs at Pennsylvania College of Technology, participants have an opportunity to acquire entry-level skills and ignite an interest in advanced manufacturing.

Pennsylvania College of Technology “manufactured” an enriching educational adventure for students this summer with a 16-day excursion to Germany and an institution renowned for vocational training. Led by Richard K. Hendricks Jr. and Howard W.

Keating interviews Stilson about his experiences in the Thingamajig Fabricator Pre-College Program. Durant captures high school students hard at work in the Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center. The reporter speaks with Webb about the program's value to high schoolers.

Allen captures footage as (from left) Secretary Weaver, Rice and Webb talk about the career opportunities represented by Penn College's various manufacturing majors. Weaver snaps a cellphone photo of the impressive equipment in the Shell Polymers Rotational Molding Center of Excellence (where, Rice noted, even the yellow steps were made in-house).

Get an early look at Penn College's newest 30-second spot during "The Captain," ESPN's seven-part documentary about the career of Derek Jeter, from July 18-Aug. 11.

Two representatives of Pennsylvania College of Technology traveled to the nation’s capital on July 13, detailing the institution’s efforts to meet the challenges of recruiting and preparing students for careers as qualified technicians in the increasingly complex world of hybrid and electric vehicles.

With more than 2 million manufacturing jobs projected to go unfilled by 2030 and women making up just 29% of the field’s workforce, it’s undeniable: There’s untapped potential in the world of manufacturing – especially for women.

A grant from EQT Foundation, the philanthropic extension of EQT Corporation, the nation’s largest producer of natural gas, will help Pennsylvania College of Technology address the national skills shortage and overcome the misconception of “dirty jobs” in technical fields.

Bradley M. Webb (left), dean of engineering technologies, discusses plastic pellets during a lab tour with Rep. Barbara Gleim (R-199) and Rep. Martin Causer (R-67), committee chair. Causer is framed by the Baja SAE team's vehicle in the Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center. The tour group moves to a welding lab in the Lycoming Engines Metal Trades Center. At left (in red tie) is Rep.

Modular apprenticeships, characterized by Workforce Development’s executive director for business development as a "missing piece" in the employee training puzzle, are the focus of the second in a series of blog posts about Penn College's apprenticeship program. "The idea is to take a large apprenticeship program and segment it into modules that focus on common topical areas," Christopher P.