00:00 - This program has been paid

00:01 - for by the sponsor and does not reflect the views of PCN.

00:05 - Welcome to PMA perspective, your weekly

00:07 - half hour news program on Pennsylvania business, government, and politics.

00:11 - I'm your host, David Taylor, president

00:13 - and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.

00:16 - On this week's program, we're visiting the Luzerne County Community College

00:20 - to talk with the leaders at the school here about their helping

00:23 - to impart the skills to power our manufacturing economy.

00:27 - PMA perspective starts now.

00:31 - You're watching PMA perspective,

00:33 - a statewide source for business, government, and policy

00:36 - news.

00:47 - Newsmaker interviews with your host David and Taylor

00:50 - and reports from the field with PMA Carl

00:53 - Moreira and Joy Johnson.

00:56 - Now for a special episode of PMA perspective.

01:00 - I'm not at sun and I'm from Nanticoke.

01:02 - I go to Nanticoke Area School District, LCC for welding.

01:06 - Hello, my name is Euros Manetti.

01:08 - I'm from Hazleton, Pennsylvania and my home high school

01:11 - there is Hazleton Area Career Center.

01:14 - My name is Caron Senior.

01:15 - I'm from civility, Pennsylvania.

01:17 - This is my first year as I got to know

01:21 - all the way from Boy Scouts when I was in Scouts.

01:24 - I take a merit badge for welding and from when I was really growing up.

01:28 - I seen that welding makes a lot of money.

01:30 - I see melting metal was interesting.

01:33 - So I was like, let me give it a try.

01:35 - I'm going to tech lead.

01:36 - Do, diesel mechanic.

01:38 - And sometimes we've all been there and I thought it was pretty interesting.

01:41 - So I took up the opportunity to come here and start welding.

01:44 - I'm learning, like, all different processes, like MiG stick and take.

01:48 - It's pretty cool.

01:49 - I think it's expanding my ability like tremendously my career.

01:52 - I want to choose this area eventually cause I want to go for bowling.

01:56 - So I want to get my own truck

01:58 - and I want to travel around the US and, well, once I graduate from here.

02:01 - My goals are to, get experience, find the union and make the money in the union.

02:07 - There are plenty of local unions, and they find jobs.

02:11 - And I can try.

02:12 - I plan to stay local and go to the Walters Union afterwards.

02:15 - I think it's a pretty bright career path.

02:18 - Like I'm really excited.

02:19 - And I just think it's really fun to do a program here.

02:22 - So be prepared by learning discipline.

02:25 - And ideally, most teachers say to a, personal

02:28 - measure to make sure you're in good and you're welcome to other top notch.

02:32 - My experience here has been awesome.

02:33 - The teachers are the best. They make sure that you learn.

02:36 - They make sure they any question you had, they answer it.

02:40 - I know that everybody wants the best for their students.

02:42 - Our instructor is really nice.

02:44 - He helps you when you need help and, like, pointing in the right direction.

02:48 - I learn how to do, like, a lot of stuff in this program.

02:50 - Well, the understanding is opening a lot.

02:52 - There's a lot of Amazon data centers getting built.

02:55 - I know that welders are needed for that

02:57 - while they're needed for basically everything.

02:59 - You have a car, you have a chart, you have metal.

03:02 - We could we could fix it.

03:05 - John Udy, president of Luzerne County Community College.

03:08 - Thank you so much for having us here today.

03:10 - Thank you David.

03:11 - Always great to see you and our friends

03:13 - at the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.

03:15 - Right back at you.

03:15 - And so, for the viewers

03:17 - who might not be familiar with your institution,

03:19 - can you just give us like a quick overview of. Sure.

03:22 - Luzerne County Community College, one of the 15 community colleges

03:26 - in Pennsylvania, part of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

03:29 - We have a service area of about eight counties.

03:32 - We have eight locations in four counties, serving a student population

03:37 - of about 8000 students, where the largest institution of higher

03:40 - education and workforce development programing in northeastern Pennsylvania.

03:44 - And we have what I think is one of the most innovative

03:47 - collaborative partnerships,

03:49 - in terms of workforce development, that we're working with the Pennsylvania

03:54 - Commission on Community Colleges, a strategy called PA works

03:57 - that's about addressing the shortage of workers in manufacturing and technology

04:02 - and in the skilled trades.

04:03 - PA works is a very exciting new initiative that we're unleashing here

04:07 - at Luzerne County Community College

04:08 - in partnership with the other 14 community colleges across Pennsylvania.

04:12 - Well, it's extremely timely because, the workforce

04:15 - crisis really is the number one concern of our manufacturing.

04:19 - Employers.

04:19 - Even just keeping staffed at current levels of production is really challenging

04:24 - for our manufacturers, much less being able to take on new work

04:28 - to you know, to bid on new contracts, to add a new production line,

04:31 - to add a third shift that, it just our, our employers can't find people.

04:36 - So this is extremely urgent for, for the well-being of our whole economy.

04:40 - And manufacturing is so important to the economy.

04:42 - I know there's a lot of talk around big tech, and certainly

04:46 - that's a very exciting, new frontier for, for Pennsylvania.

04:49 - But PA manufacturing has been the workhorse,

04:52 - for the last century or more here in Pennsylvania.

04:55 - And I pay attention very closely to the research that the PM eight does

04:59 - all the time.

05:00 - 90% of the manufacturing companies in Pennsylvania have job openings today.

05:05 - It's incumbent upon community colleges incumbent on Luzerne County Community

05:09 - College to be the workforce development engine of Pennsylvania, build

05:13 - the pipelines and AP works workforce strategy.

05:17 - I'll give you a little background in what we've tried to accomplish.

05:21 - PA works is is a workforce development strategy statewide.

05:25 - Three pillars.

05:25 - First is a career in Technology Academy.

05:28 - We launched the Luzerne County Community College Career and Technology Academy

05:32 - about a year ago.

05:33 - We had a wonderful donation of $100,000 by a businessman in the area, Mr.

05:38 - William Rinaldi, that helped us leverage $1 million Pennsylvania Department

05:42 - of Education dual credit innovation grant, and that empowered us

05:47 - to build a partnership like no other in Pennsylvania,

05:50 - a partnership with the current tech high schools in Luzerne County.

05:53 - It's a universe of about 2000 students.

05:55 - They now can go through our wonderful programs here at Luzerne

05:59 - County Community College while they're still in high school,

06:01 - and earn a degree or certification in welding, plumbing,

06:05 - Hvac technology, industrial maintenance, advanced manufacturing.

06:09 - That's about building the pipeline starting at the high school level.

06:12 - Really.

06:13 - And what we're talking about

06:14 - is building a skilled trade and manufacturing trade camp.

06:17 - We're seventh and eighth graders when they're making that critical,

06:20 - decision in their academic careers, are they going to go

06:23 - a career and technical trades, or are they going to go a purely academic track?

06:27 - We want to open the world to them and let them know that there are over

06:31 - 37,000 manufacturing jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania,

06:34 - and the average wage is $75,000 a year.

06:37 - There are great opportunities in manufacturing,

06:40 - but our manufacturing companies

06:42 - need help building that workforce development pipeline.

06:44 - Luzerne County Community College stands at the ready

06:47 - through this great new statewide initiative.

06:49 - PA works that first pillar Career and Technology academies

06:52 - direct partnership with the current tech centers.

06:54 - Then there's a micro Credential Academy, that micro Credential Academy.

06:58 - As I mentioned, we have eight locations across northeastern Pennsylvania.

07:01 - For 58 years, you couldn't graduate from from all of those eight locations.

07:06 - You can only graduate from Nanticoke.

07:08 - We're changing that model.

07:10 - We now have a new higher education model.

07:12 - Go here, graduate here, work here.

07:14 - So in Watson Town in Northumberland County,

07:17 - you're going to be able to graduate from Watson Town.

07:19 - You're going to be able to graduate from our Scranton Center.

07:21 - You're going to be able to graduate from Pittston or Hazleton.

07:24 - It's about reducing the barriers to higher education, reducing the barriers

07:28 - to earning a post-secondary credential or certification.

07:31 - So that Micro Credential Academy will be for high school students,

07:35 - but also those that are already in the workforce

07:37 - that may have hit a career plateau and want to pivot to a new career.

07:41 - I want to go into the trades and take advantage

07:43 - of one of these great opportunities,

07:45 - and the final pillar is an apprenticeship readiness program

07:49 - that will build a pipeline for both union and merit jobs in the skilled trades.

07:53 - They need help recruiting students into the skilled trades.

07:56 - We have a shortage of probably 7000 electricians

07:59 - in Pennsylvania

08:00 - to meet the demands of the data center development in Pennsylvania by 2030,

08:05 - 300,000 skilled trade workers would be needed to fuel the Pennsylvania economy.

08:09 - Luzerne County Community College through PA works and the Pennsylvania Commission

08:13 - for Community College, is going to be the critical point, critical point,

08:17 - in terms of workforce development for the jobs of the 21st century.

08:21 - You know,

08:21 - this is really heartening to hear because, again, you're correct on on all counts.

08:25 - And one of the things that you mentioned resonates, which is helping

08:29 - to upskill incumbent workers, that for the folks

08:32 - who are already on the job, the technology doesn't stand pat.

08:36 - Things keep changing.

08:37 - And for incumbent workers to be able to keep up with changes

08:41 - in their industry, that's also really critical eyes changing the world.

08:44 - It's filling the economy in terms of the massive investment

08:48 - being made by, the technology companies.

08:50 - We just hosted a wonderful workshop by AWS, who's

08:53 - building a $10 billion facility here in Luzerne County.

08:57 - And we had probably two, 300 folks here, everyone from educators and vendors

09:02 - to business leaders and political leaders, all having a conversation around

09:06 - how AI is going to positively impact the economy here in northeastern Pennsylvania.

09:11 - Yes, it's about the tech jobs, but it's more about the skilled trade jobs.

09:15 - You got to build out the cloud infrastructure, the fiber.

09:18 - It's also about how I was going to be deployed in other industries,

09:21 - in health care, in manufacturing.

09:23 - So, we're developing AI programs here at Luzerne

09:26 - County Community College and making sure that we collaborate with industry.

09:31 - That's a key thing.

09:31 - I want to a point that I want to make

09:33 - with everything that we're doing, whether it's the current Technology

09:36 - Academy, the Micro Credential Academy, or the Apprenticeship Readiness Academy,

09:40 - all the programs and certifications in those three pillars of our workforce

09:45 - development strategy works are industry driven industry inspired.

09:49 - This is about partnership and collaboration.

09:51 - If we're going to be innovators in terms of building out

09:53 - that workforce for the 21st century,

09:55 - we need to be complete partners with industry to PM

09:58 - Manufacturers Association to make sure we're getting it right,

10:02 - that when that person hits

10:03 - that plateau in their career and they recognize that I may be applied

10:07 - into their workplace or technology's going in a different direction,

10:10 - we're going to be able

10:11 - to upskill them to industry standards and industry direction as well.

10:15 - And and John, I want to thank you for your personal leadership.

10:18 - I know that you have taken on that role of,

10:22 - being the

10:23 - diplomat, reaching out to the employers here in your region to talk with them,

10:27 - to make sure that that your institution is giving the students

10:31 - the skills that they need for the jobs that are available right now.

10:35 - And I know that, that the responsiveness of,

10:38 - of this institution is, is due in large part to that work that you've been doing.

10:43 - Thank you.

10:44 - It it's relationships.

10:45 - It's thing that I truly love about being in the community college sector.

10:49 - We're the only sector of higher education that has community in our mission

10:53 - and in our name.

10:55 - And so we have to be fully engaged with the community,

10:58 - the business community, the leaders in our community.

11:00 - We have Senator Baker represents, Luzerne County Community College.

11:04 - She's been very helpful, in securing grants.

11:07 - We got a $250,000 grant about a year ago to help build out our robotics

11:12 - program, and, again, all industry driven, working with some of the great companies.

11:16 - We have general Dynamics, Procter and Gamble, Niagara Volleyball

11:20 - Corporation, all these great international companies

11:23 - that have invested in northeastern Pennsylvania to protect that investment,

11:27 - to protect those jobs,

11:28 - Luzerne County Community College has to be important to those manufacturers,

11:32 - making sure that they have a workforce to fuel their businesses.

11:35 - Into the 21st century,

11:37 - the major companies that you name, these are significant local taxpayers.

11:41 - And so this is something that upholds the quality of life

11:44 - in our communities by having employers like that here, doing what they do.

11:49 - And and again, as we said, if they don't have the folks,

11:52 - who can do that work, it hampers their mission and their success.

11:57 - And also, again, just to reinforce what you said, that the

12:00 - these are good paying, family sustaining jobs

12:03 - and that, you know, by connecting the students with the skills,

12:07 - we can get them, into a better place in life.

12:10 - That compounding, impact of manufacturers in the region.

12:14 - As I mentioned, northeastern Pennsylvania, the service area of the college

12:18 - has about over 37,000 manufacturing jobs.

12:21 - That translates into $2.8 billion in labor income.

12:25 - Well, think of that $2.8 billion annually in labor income here

12:30 - in northeastern Pennsylvania through those 37,000 jobs with openings.

12:35 - So it's really incumbent upon the community college.

12:37 - And we're really trying

12:38 - to build a workforce development ecosystem starting in kindergarten.

12:42 - We are proud that, we're going to soon announce that we're going to be

12:45 - the educational host institution to the Shine Afterschool program.

12:48 - It's a Stem based program serves about 1000 students here

12:52 - in northeastern Pennsylvania.

12:54 - So starting really through kindergarten through eighth grade, we're going to start

12:58 - there.

12:58 - Imagination that you can go into a manufacturing career

13:01 - and make a wonderful family sustaining wage.

13:04 - And then from the shine program, they're going to go to what we hope

13:08 - to launch here in the spring. Luzerne works.

13:10 - Luzerne works is a direct partnership with the Wyoming Valley

13:13 - Chamber of Commerce to allow us to have on a digital platform students

13:18 - exposure to careers and pathways in northeastern Pennsylvania.

13:22 - That will dovetail right next to our Micro Credential Academy

13:26 - or our apprenticeship readiness program, or the career in Technology program,

13:30 - giving students, the most cost effective pathway

13:35 - to a great career and earning an income that can sustain their family.

13:39 - Well, this is just all wonderful stuff.

13:41 - This is, this is life sustaining stuff.

13:44 - And that's why we're so excited to to be here today to, to get to tour

13:48 - the campus and, talk with your team who we're going to talk to first.

13:52 - We're going to talk to our new vice president of academic affairs, Doctor

13:55 - Russ.

13:55 - Biggest, an educational innovator here at Luzerne County.

13:59 - Claire was a faculty member for more than a decade.

14:02 - Very excited.

14:03 - We're also going to speak

14:04 - to one of our faculty leaders in the technology and trade space,

14:07 - and that's Jason.

14:08 - Cheryl, a great, young faculty member who's doing wonderful things

14:12 - in advancing the Career and Technology Academy, the Micro Credential Academy,

14:16 - and the apprenticeship,

14:17 - Readiness Academy here at Luzerne County Community College.

14:20 - Oh, well, that's all great stuff. Let's let's go there now.

14:25 - Doctor Russ,

14:25 - biggest thank you so much for taking time to be with us on the program.

14:28 - Oh, my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

14:30 - So tell us about,

14:31 - the the way things are going here at the Luzerne County Community College.

14:35 - Things are wild and crazy at the college right now.

14:37 - From everything that we're trying to accomplish

14:38 - with workforce development, the skilled trades to include nursing and allied

14:42 - health, with the tremendous shortage that we are currently

14:45 - living in, knowing that that shortage is going to only continue to expand.

14:49 - And because that shortage is already, being felt, I would imagine that there's

14:54 - great urgency with connecting students directly with the workforce.

14:57 - There's tremendous urgency.

14:58 - And, personally, my biggest, push, if you will,

15:02 - is to try to communicate with the parents and the students

15:04 - that are in the middle school, in the high school

15:06 - to let them know there's this urgency in our in our society,

15:09 - in our world, there's an opportunity that's unprecedented for those students.

15:12 - And I think that's the biggest

15:14 - and the hardest gap that we're trying to bridge, because the

15:17 - the jobs that you just mentioned that, they're all recession proof,

15:21 - like they're all what you're always going to need the plumber, Hvac,

15:25 - electrician, nursing help.

15:26 - And so, you know, in this way that not only these good paying,

15:30 - family sustaining jobs, but that they're also very reliable jobs.

15:33 - They are most of the jobs in allied health to include respiratory therapy,

15:37 - surgical tech, dental assisting, dental hygiene.

15:40 - And unfortunately, a lot of those programs that we have are capped just based on

15:43 - size, are based on accreditation.

15:44 - And yet a tremendous begging from the community

15:47 - to please give us more nurses and give us more dental hygienist.

15:50 - Then you focus that over to Hvac and electrical, as you said, same,

15:54 - same thing going on there.

15:55 - So what steps, is the school taking to,

15:59 - to get those students skilled up and on the job?

16:03 - We just received, a little bit over $2 million to be paid out

16:06 - over the next four years.

16:07 - From a governmental agency called the HRSa grant.

16:11 - $2.1 million is earmarked specifically to nursing and to include

16:16 - even the possibility of at least reduced, if not even free, tuition.

16:19 - So there's a chance students

16:20 - can come into our nursing program and have a very limited tuition.

16:23 - That's fantastic. Isn't that great? Yes. Yeah.

16:26 - We're working on a grant as we speak that's going to address

16:28 - workforce development.

16:30 - The digital age, everything going on with the, the,

16:33 - the data centers, that would be another potential $2 million to be split

16:36 - between some of the some of the other community

16:38 - colleges as well, that that grant is in the process.

16:40 - So, securing the funds and then getting the message out

16:44 - to the students, that's the those are the two things going on right now.

16:47 - One of the distinctive qualities of this institution

16:50 - is, is that leadership is is creative and thinks dynamically

16:55 - and that you gather intelligence, you connect with the community.

16:57 - You're getting you're getting input

16:58 - directly from the employers about what they need, talking to business,

17:01 - business and industry and the employers in the community.

17:04 - And, having a really great relationship with the superintendents of

17:07 - just about 25 to 30 school districts in our service area and then some

17:11 - all of us in the educational arena are all on the same page.

17:14 - We know that.

17:15 - We see the need.

17:15 - We hear from business all the time about how things are.

17:18 - It's really tough to get employees.

17:20 - I come back to that.

17:21 - We've got to get this message out to the parents.

17:23 - If you, as a parent

17:24 - believe that the academic track is the only track, at the very least,

17:27 - let them taste it, maybe they have an opportunity

17:29 - to move into that arena for a part of their career.

17:32 - Followed up with.

17:32 - Well, at the end of the day at least, you would have a skill

17:34 - that you would be able to work on things at your own home.

17:36 - But yes, it's very expensive to hire somebody, especially being in a shortage.

17:40 - Yeah. No kidding.

17:41 - I think too many people fail to appreciate that.

17:46 - You know, these these workers, these these people with these skills, like,

17:51 - they're the ones who uphold our civilization.

17:54 - And that the makers and the doers and the builders,

17:57 - they're the ones who build and staff and service all of these systems,

18:02 - whether it's, you know, electricity, whether it's, you know, water.

18:05 - And these are the things that keep us all alive.

18:07 - And, you know,

18:08 - and in this way, these are, really critical life bringing industries.

18:13 - It's kind of easy to sit back and order something on your cell phone from Amazon.

18:18 - Yes. But then, on the other hand, also complain about a data center.

18:22 - There's a tremendous need for the data center and data center technicians.

18:25 - And we just put together a curriculum that consists of around 26 credits,

18:28 - so we can get a student in here in just a year's time in two semesters,

18:32 - and put them out into a job that pays around $70,000,

18:34 - and then working that job for a couple of years,

18:36 - and then maybe come back and stack all of that credential

18:39 - with more college credit or just non college credit.

18:42 - But they talk about the stack ability, talk about the credentialing

18:45 - and that the way that the that, that Luzerne County Community College

18:49 - is, is structuring that.

18:51 - So just just last week

18:52 - as of Thursday of last week we unleashed our micro credential webpage.

18:57 - Loser that edu go over to the academic component

19:00 - and the clickable bar on the top, click on micro credentials.

19:03 - And we have around 22 programs that we just announced last week.

19:07 - Optional opportunities for delivery and instruction

19:10 - between synchronous, asynchronous, virtual in person

19:14 - students can kind of create their own little pathway, working closely

19:17 - with all of our own professors, a good example would be QuickBooks.

19:20 - So we have a person who's working in an accounting office,

19:24 - and the the owner of the business as well.

19:27 - We want you to go back and learn QuickBooks seven weeks, roughly 15 hours.

19:32 - They can get their QuickBooks badge and get possibly

19:35 - a promotion, a pay raise and have that skill for their employer.

19:39 - Work in that role for a little while,

19:40 - then come back and use that QuickBooks to stack toward another certification

19:44 - like Microsoft.

19:44 - 365 I love that that flexibility

19:48 - and that dynamism that you are

19:52 - you're it's the, you know, the art of the possible.

19:54 - You are getting people what they need now, but you're also leaving the door open.

20:00 - You have to to to add more to come back full time.

20:05 - And it's really hard to talk to a, especially a younger, younger student,

20:08 - you know,

20:09 - because right out of high school, even into their early 20s,

20:11 - they don't want to hear a four year commitment these days.

20:14 - They barely want to hear a two year commitment.

20:15 - I actually have a really neat story about,

20:17 - one of our technology professors, Kevin Jones.

20:20 - He just designed curriculum for AI.

20:22 - And as we all know, AI is we're living in and it's only going to get bigger.

20:25 - Students would attend his class face to face, get them acclimated and oriented

20:29 - next to classes online, next class, face to face and face to face.

20:32 - Also meaning how will technology where it would be a virtual options?

20:35 - They wouldn't have to come in person to person.

20:37 - So we have to be clear about the face to face.

20:39 - Could be to computer screens. Got it.

20:40 - Which is a really great model.

20:42 - And the students really love that model.

20:43 - And we have the technology, you know, at our fingertips.

20:45 - So that's another seven week course.

20:47 - They can go out and specialize in AI and then come back at their convenience

20:51 - and stack more credentials.

20:53 - On top of that, of course,

20:54 - President Do was saying about the, Amazon Web Services.

20:58 - Yep. Investment that's coming to northeastern PA and that,

21:01 - that that company has, you know, reached out to,

21:06 - stakeholders in the

21:07 - community to explain to them about what's coming.

21:10 - You know, can you just describe the scale of the work opportunity

21:14 - that these data centers are going to bring?

21:16 - We're hearing upwards of $20 billion of investment on the not just AWS,

21:20 - but none on all of the data center, industry that's coming it.

21:24 - Well, they're here they're already here in the Berwick area,

21:26 - building, as fast as as fast as possible.

21:29 - We're trying to address that need for now, at least on the electrical side between

21:33 - electricians, Hvac, building construction, welding is tremendous need right now.

21:38 - And the biggest one

21:39 - is that the data center technician, which would be jobs that are going to be

21:42 - that's a career.

21:43 - If you want that to be for the next 30 years.

21:45 - Right. It's exciting stuff.

21:46 - It is.

21:46 - And it's it's an opportunity for the region, for the whole Commonwealth.

21:50 - But we have to meet the moment that we have to.

21:53 - Pennsylvania has to mobilize, energy to make sure

21:57 - that these facilities can be, can be powered.

22:00 - And, and again, the work that, that you folks are doing right here

22:04 - to get the people with the skills to, to be able to,

22:07 - to build and operate these places once they're once they're here, some of it's

22:11 - a little overwhelming when they tell us that we have a need for 3000 electricians.

22:15 - And that's something we can't provide, will not overnight, not overnight.

22:19 - Overtime, several hundred.

22:21 - But one of the great things that, the community colleges

22:24 - are doing across the state is we formed the Commission on Community Colleges,

22:29 - where Community College A

22:30 - has this program, and they're really good at it.

22:32 - Community College has another program that they're really good.

22:35 - Let's share and combine services and refer students rather than trying to

22:39 - be the master of all.

22:40 - That's great. Well, this is just a very exciting time.

22:43 - And, doctor, biggest thank you for thank you for having me.

22:47 - It's always a pleasure being with you,

22:49 - Jason. Cheryl, it's so nice to be with you.

22:51 - Thanks for taking time to be on PM for perspective.

22:53 - Yeah. Thanks for being here today.

22:54 - So I want to learn more about you, what you're doing here

22:58 - and the programs that you're running here at Luzerne County Community College.

23:01 - Okay.

23:02 - So I'm the coordinator of our automotive, welding and heavy equipment programs.

23:07 - So hands on skilled trades, types of learning for the students

23:10 - coming in really job oriented, something that's going to give them a life

23:14 - sustaining career once they get out in the field

23:17 - and you partner with the local employers to track their needs

23:21 - and to incorporate those things into the instruction

23:24 - that you're giving the students local employers

23:26 - are probably one of our biggest assets, because without them,

23:29 - I don't know exactly what they need from our students.

23:32 - So we rely on the local employers to come

23:34 - in, let us know what they're looking for, and then we could teach that skill set.

23:38 - It saves them the aggravation of having to teach someone fresh, coming in

23:42 - when we could help prepare them for what the employers actually need.

23:45 - I was hearing, talk about a, credentialing academy.

23:49 - Can you walk us through that?

23:51 - The idea here is a degree doesn't fit for everyone.

23:54 - Not everyone's looking for a degree, but credentials will help

23:58 - bring these students to another level, get them employable.

24:00 - Here at FCC, we're going to offer credentialing in all different areas.

24:03 - Advanced manufacturing, air conditioning, plumbing, welding,

24:07 - all sorts of the high demand skill areas.

24:10 - If these students earn a credential in it, they have the option to choose

24:13 - to continue to an associate's or even transfer to a four year program.

24:17 - But these credentials are what's going to get them out into the workforce.

24:20 - This credential is like getting a foot in the door, testing out the waters.

24:24 - Some of them are happy to go to work right after some of them.

24:27 - One of them continue, like I said, to those higher degree levels.

24:30 - So it really gives a great opportunity for young students coming up.

24:34 - And by having the credential and being able to,

24:38 - you know, to take on that kind of work, they can be earning,

24:42 - at the same time that they're also enrolled and,

24:45 - and taking classes, earning while they're learning and work.

24:48 - So that works out great for everyone.

24:50 - When you couple the real world

24:52 - learning, with the vocational learning that we're doing here, you can't beat it.

24:55 - That's tremendous.

24:56 - So what's the success rate been with student placement?

24:59 - Our students have near total placement.

25:01 - Well, I mean, if they want to work, they have a job available.

25:05 - Our relationship with local employers gives that very close,

25:09 - hands on relationship for the students to meet the employers.

25:12 - Our career placement services here at the college are great.

25:15 - It's just a wonderful opportunity.

25:17 - And if the students want to work, there's a job waiting for them.

25:19 - So what other things are going on here at the.

25:22 - You're excited about everything. It's busy here.

25:24 - It's so busy here.

25:25 - We have between micro credentialing, early college enrollment

25:28 - where we're getting dual enrollment, early college academy,

25:31 - these young students coming in, you know, we're not forgetting

25:33 - about our traditional students by any means,

25:35 - but we're also bringing in these younger students, bringing in employers,

25:40 - bringing in manufacturing associations, bringing in everyone from the community

25:44 - to help build our programs.

25:46 - So it's a very busy and exciting time here at the college.

25:48 - And it's this is how everyone wins together.

25:51 - Yes, that we we are able to connect our students

25:55 - with the skills that will give them a family sustaining career.

25:58 - Yeah, with good wages and benefits.

26:00 - It helps the individual employers by helping them to get fully staffed

26:05 - so that they can do the work to satisfy their customers,

26:08 - and that it also strengthens the entire community,

26:12 - because you then have, a successful business

26:17 - that's helping to pay the taxes to sustain the local

26:20 - tax base for quality of life with municipal services.

26:23 - How the old saying goes, A rising tide lifts all boats.

26:26 - Yeah. Something of that nature.

26:28 - But yeah, it's the idea of building our community

26:30 - and building this workforce so that we all succeed.

26:33 - Which, again, addresses the demographic crisis

26:36 - where if we're helping young people here,

26:40 - in northeastern PA to get the skills for the jobs that are here,

26:44 - this is what will enable them to build their to build their lives

26:47 - and build their families here. And absolutely.

26:49 - And northeast Pennsylvania

26:50 - is growing tremendously and fast, and we're going to be the ones

26:54 - providing the training for these students to want to stay here, want to work here?

26:59 - Well, it sounds like there's been an absolute explosion of activity.

27:05 - How do you how do you cope with that kind of rapid expansion?

27:08 - Well, all we're going to do is keep growing ourselves.

27:10 - For example, my welding program, I know that we're going to be adding

27:14 - to that, increasing the number of boots, increasing the number of students.

27:17 - We're going to grow just as fast as northeast PA is growing.

27:21 - Well, well, this is all very exciting stuff.

27:24 - Jason, thank you for spending time with us.

27:26 - And thanks for all you do. Yeah. Thank you for coming in.

27:30 - Well, this is all

27:31 - been so impressive for the viewers at home who want to learn more.

27:35 - Where should they go?

27:36 - They should go to our website here at Luzerne County Community College.

27:39 - Luzerne.edu.

27:41 - Luzerne.edu has all of our programs, all of our great new,

27:46 - exciting initiatives.

27:47 - Please come and visit us here

27:49 - at our Nanticoke campus or one of our seven other locations

27:52 - in northeastern Pennsylvania, or at our website, Luzerne. Edu.

27:56 - Outstanding.

27:57 - A community organization.

28:00 - Well, that's all the time we have for this week's program.

28:02 - PMA perspective returns next week, and until then, stay current on what's

28:07 - happening in your state government by visiting PA manufacturers.org.

28:12 - From all of us here at PMA. Thanks for watching.

28:14 - We'll see you next week.

28:36 - This program has been paid

28:37 - for by the sponsor and does not reflect the views of PCN.