NEPIRC joins Wolf's 'Dream Team' ambassador program

Sep. 13—WILKES-BARRE — Eric Esoda, President of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC), Tuesday said Gov. Tom Wolf's Dream Team initiative is an innovative and engaging way to introduce students, faculty, school administrators and parents to younger manufacturing professionals.

And, Esoda said, the program will create a more updated an accurate understanding and opinion of the manufacturing sector and the purposeful, rewarding and high-tech jobs our regional manufacturers offer.

"We're delighted that the PA Department of Community & Economic Development share in our enthusiasm about this effort,"Esoda said. "Through this initiative, we'll have the opportunity to introduce high school, community college and university students to the exciting careers that await them in manufacturing and create more accurate narrative relative to what today's manufacturers are all about."

Wolf on Tuesday announced $150,900 in new funding for NEPIRC through Pennsylvania's Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program (MTTC), to support a manufacturing career awareness program in northeastern Pennsylvania where young professionals talk to high school and college students about the benefits and rewards of a career in manufacturing.

"I'm proud to support exciting and innovative programs such as this one," said Gov. Wolf. "This program will introduce students to the industry and encourage them to consider manufacturing-related careers. The program ultimately will improve the talent pool for manufacturing companies in northeastern Pennsylvania and keep a pipeline of talent flowing in their direction."

The "Dream Team" program will recruit young manufacturing professionals from area companies to serve as 'ambassadors' and visit targeted high schools, community colleges and trade schools to speak with students, teachers, and administrators about their profession, its requirements, and its rewards.

The targeted schools will be located in the 11-county service area of the NEPIRC, which includes Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

NEPIRC, through the Dream Team program, will partner with the following manufacturing companies to recruit ambassadors: Action Lift, Inc.; Bridon-Bekart; Gentex Corporation; McGregor Industries; MetalKraft Industries; Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials; and Times PDQ Print Center.

NEPIRC will recruit no less than 15 young professionals from area companies to serve as ambassadors and will train them about the goals of the program and how to deliver compelling presentations about their jobs. The program will then engage 20 high schools, community colleges and trade schools — where each ambassador will make at least one presentation each.

"The Dream Team initiative is an innovative and engaging way to introduce students, faculty, school administrators and parents to younger manufacturing professionals and create a more updated an accurate understanding and opinion of our manufacturing sector and the purposeful, rewarding and high-tech jobs our regional manufacturers offer," Esoda said.

Gov. Wolf's Manufacturing PA initiative was launched in October 2017, and since then has funded 83 projects and invested more than $17.5 million through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program.

Training-to-Career grants support projects that result in short-term work-readiness, job placement, or the advancement of manufacturing. The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.

For more information about the Wolf Administration's commitment to manufacturing, visit the Department of Community and Economic Development website.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.