United Way of Butler County and the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board were awarded a $50,000 capacity-building grant from the Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions to launch a pilot program working collaboratively with local manufacturers, trades and human service agencies. The program seeks to identify lower-skilled and low-income individuals, either unemployed or underemployed, who have the potential and desire to succeed in manufacturing. They will then be provided with the training, certifications, and most importantly, support throughout an interview and hiring process.

Central to the collaborative learning process will be the collection, analysis, and presentation of best practices in recruitment and retention for the region. The development of tool kits for community based agencies will help them identify potential program candidates while providing supports for success in manufacturing and trades. Often, things like transportation or child care can make or break an employee's ability to be successful in their position.

Ten students, referred by agencies such as the Lighthouse, the Housing Authority of Butler County, Catholic Charities, Butler County Children's Center and the VA are currently enrolled in an “Exploring Careers in Manufacturing” class provided by BC3 and conducted at the YWCA. Many of those students will test for further training in the Certified Production Technician program at Penn United's L.I.G.H.T. Institute. Others will work with the CareerLink to interview for open positions in local manufacturers. A few may consider testing for trades apprenticeships.

Along with United Way and the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board, key partners include the Butler County Manufacturing Consortium; Butler County CareerLink; Butler County Chamber of Commerce; Butler Human Resources Association; Butler County Community College; the Learning Institute for Growth in Technology (L.I.G.H.T.), a division of Penn United Technologies Inc.; Center for Community Resources; Housing Authority of Butler County; Butler County Children's Center and CCIS; the Lighthouse Foundation and others.

Private and public funders from across the state joined forces to create The Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions, which blends investments (more than $3 million to date) from private and public funders to support the goal of increasing opportunities for lower-skilled workers through grant making, capacity building, and advocacy efforts within the state's Targeted Industry Clusters.

A special thanks to Joe Milicia and Turner Construction Company for donating the laptop computers used by students participating in the class.