Jun. 22—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Pennsylvania Highlands Community College President Steve Nunez conferred certificates of business management in manufacturing on Tuesday to the first graduates of a program launched with JWF Industries.

The first class of graduates included three JWF employees: supply chain lead Victoria Long; supply chain lead Haleigh Findley, daughter of JWF Chief Operating Officer John Polacek; and area manager Kevin Findley, Haleigh's husband.

The business management in manufacturing certificate program is a professional development opportunity for JWF employees that offers advancement in the company. It is a step toward an associate degree in business management in manufacturing.

The graduates were honored during a ceremony at Penn Highlands' downtown Johnstown campus.

"It's an honor to be the first graduates of a special program started by JWF and Penn Highlands," Long said.

Haleigh Findley thanked Penn Highlands and JWF for the opportunity to advance her skills.

"Hopefully we can pave the way for other employees to get on board," she said.

JWF President and CEO Bill Polacek said the opportunity is open to all employees. The next cohort is set to include 12 JWF employees, Nunez said.

The curriculum was built from years of planning with Penn Highlands, Bill Polacek said. He congratulated the three graduates.

"They embarked on a new curriculum that really not just helps the organization and their career but this community," he said. "This is something I think is the start of helping this community progress, via an international course, so we are looked at as an international professional manufacturing business that can do business all around the world with the sophistication that this course leads the way to."

JWF Industries has been a small business manufacturer of metal-centric parts for over 30 years in Johnstown. The company designs, manufactures and integrates metal-centric products for global customers in the energy, commercial, and defense industries.