PA DCED Makes Manufacturing Training Possible
NCC receives grant to continue good work in manufacturing training.
BETHLEHEM, PA – Northampton Community College (NCC) received a new grant in the amount of $199,985 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (PA DCED) to continue the industrial skills in manufacturing training program.
“We continue to improve the program to ensure we are offering the most up-to-date and relevant information to our students,” says Program Manager for Trade and Technical Programs, Michele Salkin.
The curriculum is designed to adapt to feedback from industry partners to ensure alignment with current workforce needs. Regional job growth in manufacturing is predicted to rise from roughly 37,000 to nearly 49,000, a 32% increase, in the next 25 years, according to the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board and Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. There’s a shift toward advanced manufacturing, generating strong demand for a skilled workforce and opening the door to better-paying, more resilient career opportunities.
The Lehigh Valley is rapidly emerging as a regional hub for modern, innovation driven manufacturing in the northeast United States. To support this transformation, Industrial Skills in Manufacturing offers a critical entry point for individuals looking to transition into the advanced manufacturing workforce.
Recently, the program achieved registered pre-apprenticeship status through the PA Department of Labor and Industry. This is a valuable national credential recognized by companies across the United States, and students receive credits that can be applied to further industrial skills training at NCC.
Industrial skills in manufacturing at NCC is a ten-week, 240-hour registered pre-apprenticeship program created for unemployed or underemployed individuals who have strong mechanical aptitude, problem-solving skills, and an interest starting or advancing into a career in industrial maintenance or advanced manufacturing. The program combines online learning, hands-on training, and classroom instruction with employer engagement. This program prepares students for entry-level employment, to further their education, or to be hired into an apprenticeship program with related technical instruction conducted at NCC’s Hartzell Hall – Center for Advanced Technology.
The program is funded [in part] by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development’s Manufacturing Training to Career Grant program.
About Northampton Community College
With an enduring commitment to the regional communities it serves and a focus on student success, Northampton Community College is an educational institution of extraordinary distinction, earning accolades at the state and national levels for innovative programs, outstanding faculty, and impressive student achievements. It counts among its successful alumni a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner and an Academy Award winning director, as well as a host of CEOs, presidents, and leaders of business and industry. Today, Northampton Community College has locations in Bethlehem, Southside Bethlehem, and Monroe County, serving 30,000 students annually from 53 counties, 42 countries, and 25 states. For more information or to apply, please visit northampton.edu. Follow NCC on LinkedIn, Instagram @NorthamptonCommCollege, TikTok @NorthamptonCC, and Facebook.
