The Commerce Department awarded a $2 million grant last week to the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport to support workforce development for clean energy manufacturing among other sectors in the region.
Penn College said it will match the grant, creating a budget of $4 million to be allocated over the next 5 years. The grant will support initiatives including construction of an 1,800-square-foot Clean Energy Center House.
The college’s Clean Energy Center currently provides accredited workforce training and technical assistance for eco-retrofitting of buildings, and it plans to launch a solar workforce solutions program to serve the state’s emerging solar industry.
Pennsylvania has 467 solar companies operating within its borders, of which 111 are listed as manufacturers, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The state is projected to grow to reach 2,806 MW over the next five years.
The funding will also help renovate the Building Technologies Center and its instructional labs to improve learning experiences for students in programs related to building construction, service and maintenance, as well as support applied technology careers through programmatic investments, according to the college.
“With this $2 million grant, Penn College can improve and expand its programs to train skilled workers to compete for jobs in critical industries experiencing labor shortages,” U.S. Sen. Bob Casey said in a statement.
The grant is part of the Commerce Department executing on the Biden administration’s Investing in America agenda, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in the release.
“This [Economic Development Administration] investment will increase manufacturing training opportunities in Williamsport and create pathways to professional growth for workers, helping to meet regional industry workforce needs,” Raimondo said.
