A representative of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration kicked off the state’s Manufacturing Week on Friday with a visit to downtown New Kensington.

Gwen Ross, director of workforce development initiatives with the state Department of Community and Economic Development, was at the Digital Foundry at New Kensington for what she said was the first of many stops celebrating the week, which runs through Oct. 13.

“Events like these are important for several reasons,” she said. “They highlight how vital manufacturing industry is for our state’s economy, they spread the word about the many rewarding benefits that a manufacturing career has, and the importance of training programs — like we are here to celebrate today at the Digital Foundry — helping employers address their workforce needs.”

During her visit, Ross announced that Penn State New Kensington received a $200,000 Manufacturing Training-to-Career grant that will support the learning program at the Digital Foundry.

“We are happy to support this wonderful program,” Ross said. “When it’s all said and done, this funding will promote opportunities in the region’s manufacturing sector, to youth and underserved residents, bringing fresh faces to the industry. Our best and brightest minds are creating the innovations that will push the entire industry forward, and they’re being developed right here in Pennsylvania and in your own community. During Manufacturing Week, we are celebrating that.”

Dignitaries gathered June 1, 2022, for the opening of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington. It is a partnership among the Penn State campus in Upper Burrell, the Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland County, the city of New Kensington and the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

The partners created the facility “to really develop New Kensington and Southwestern Pennsylvania from a rust belt into a digital belt,” campus Chancellor Kevin Snider said. “Advanced manufacturing is so important to that.”

The DCED was the first agency to provide grant funding for its workforce training programs, Snider said.

The foundry’s training programs were started in 2021 with help from a previous Manufacturing Training-to-Career grant of about $186,450. Nearly 100 students were trained through that initial program, more than its starting goal of 50.

“The fact that we’ve been successful with the first grant is partly why they’re willing to reinvest in us,” Snider said. “What this does is support us bringing K through 12, bringing unemployed, underemployed, current workforce into this facility to get the digital age skills they need, to be able to help put sensors on existing machines, to monitor the data, to run the robots, things like that.”

In its first 16 months, Snider said the foundry has been awarded about $11.5 million in grants and private foundation support. It has a roster of 16 tech supporters committing about $6 million in in-kind software, hardware and service donations.

It is one of the nation’s seven Smart Manufacturing Innovation centers and is expanding its robotics training capabilities by being named a FANUC certified training site, he said.

In addition to Penn State students, Snider said this past year the foundry hosted more than 120 K-12 students in camps, workshops, after-school programs and manufacturing day events, and offered professional development for teachers in the area focusing on robotics training and other awareness programming.

“We’re proud of our work on workforce training and the education front, which is the heart of our mission and aligns so well with Gov. Shapiro’s commitment to manufacturing, workforce development and innovation,” Snider said.

Pennsylvania has the sixth largest manufacturing industry in the nation by employment, and the industry provides more than $113 billion in gross domestic product to the state every year, Ross said.

“Gov. Shapiro is truly dedicated to supporting the manufacturing careers and the industry as a whole,” she said. “He’s determined to make Pennsylvania an economic powerhouse, and he knows the importance of supporting programs like the Manufacturing Training-to-Career grant, which awards funding to develop short-term training programs to help individuals gain the skills they need in order to obtain employment in the manufacturing industry.”

Manufacturing employs more than 562,000 workers, nearly 10% of all private sector jobs in the state. Employees earn 33% more on average than other sectors in the state, with an average compensation including benefits around $86,000, and have the highest job security in the private sector, she said.

But Ross said jobs are about more than money.

“Manufacturing today is not your father or your grandfather’s industry. Modern manufacturing careers provide environments that are safer, cleaner, brighter and more innovative than ever before,” she said. “These jobs require skills and a dedication to the craft of making something. Those skills require training.

“Many manufacturers offer on-the-job training that helps employees get the skills they need to succeed in their career and to adapt to the industry needs. Many also offer apprenticeship opportunities that give apprentices an income while they’re learning a skill,” she said. “There are amazing colleges and tech schools out there like Penn State New Kensington that give students the skills they need for these in-demand, lucrative manufacturing careers.”

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