Lancaster: On Monday, December 14, 2009, PA Secretary of Labor and Industry Sandi Vito along with Senator Mike Brubaker and Senator Lloyd Smucker announced an award of funding in the amount of $990,000 from the Industry Partnership program of the Commonwealth to support Industry Partnerships in Lancaster County.

In Lancaster County, this funding supports the operation of the Center of Excellence in Production Agriculture, the Center of Excellence in Renewable Energy, the Center of Excellence in Long-Term Care Practice, the Center for Manufacturing Excellence, and the Industrial Maintenance Training Center of Pennsylvania along with incumbent worker training in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and health care.  Last year, Industry Partnerships in Lancaster County engaged nearly 430 employers and trained 2,933 incumbent workers using almost $1.6 million in state training money at an average of just over $564 per trainee.

There are more than 70 Industry Partnerships around the state with local workforce investment boards working with industries ranging from renewable energy to advanced manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and health care. Pennsylvania is a model for these so-called "sector" projects nationwide.

For more information, contact Scott Sheely at 717-735-0333 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it