HARRISBURG – Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier on Thursday urged eligible local workforce development boards to apply for $3.3 million in new Business-Education Partnership grants that will connect businesses and school districts and expand career opportunities throughout Pennsylvania.
“One of Gov. Tom Wolf’s key workforce development objectives is to provide students with the technical training they need to secure good-paying jobs when they enter the workforce,” Berrier said.
“These business and education partnerships provide Pennsylvania employers with a pipeline of highly-skilled workers, while also helping students gain the skills they need to be successful in today’s workforce.”
A total of $3.3 million in funding is available through L&I to LWDBs to implement Business-Education Partnership programs.
These programs help increase awareness of in-demand technical careers for students, parents, guardians and school faculty.
“Last year the commonwealth funded Business-Education Partnership grant activities to serve more than 35,000 individuals across Pennsylvania,” Berrier added.
“These partnerships benefit employers by educating tomorrow’s workforce about the career and technical education job opportunities that exist and provide students with a solid first-work experience that puts them squarely on the path to future success.”
The partnerships connect schools, employers, LWDB’s and students to provide career-related experiences and opportunities through soft-skills development, internships, workplace shadowing, and career mentoring, all with the goal of informing more students about high-priority occupations and career paths available in the commonwealth.
The Business-Education Partnership grants from L&I are funded at 100 percent through federal money made available from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.
Additional details and the grant application can be found on L&I’s website. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. EST, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021.
Additional information is available on the L&I Web site at www.dli.pa.gov or by following us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.