Current Workforce Development Initiatives

Manufacturing Day
We are working with six school districts to set up Manufacturers Day programs in the upcoming school year. These programs are targeted at high school seniors and sometimes sophomores and juniors to introduce them to the variety of technical jobs available within the manufacturing facilities in their hometown area. Many of our students are totally unaware of the products manufactured in the county they live in or of the high level of technology-oriented jobs that are available here. CEOs and Human Resource Managers educate students by bringing into the schools the products they produce. Some companies even bring in some of their equipment to provide students live demonstrations of manufacturing processes.

Countywide Career Curriculum
MAMP has partnered with all twelve school districts in Schuylkill County to create a countywide career curriculum guide for grades 5-8. This initiative, which originated from MAMP’s CEO/Plant Manager Roundtable, started in the year 2000 and since then county middle school guidance counselors have met once a month and have already developed and presented the countywide guide. They continue to meet to assist each other in implementing the guide in their individual school districts. The guide is based on the National Standards for Career Development in School Counseling Programs, has been heavily influenced by MAMP’s roundtable members, and contains numerous examples of lesson plans and activities to promote career awareness and career exploration. Initiatives like Manufacturers Day are a direct result of this roundtable and of this initiative.

Industry Trade Show
MAMP is working with our local vocational-technical schools to help boost enrollments in highly technical education programs. This two-day event will be held at our two local vocational-technical centers. Seventh and eighth grade students from all county schools will be touring the centers and will have an opportunity to talk with CEOs and Human Resource Managers of area manufacturing facilities. The CEOs and Human Resource Managers will be on-hand to demonstrate the products they make and to talk to the students about the kinds of job opportunities that will be available to them if they pursue some of the technical education programs offered by the vocational-technical schools.

Job and Career Fair
MAMP has joined with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and the Team Pennsylvania CareerLink (our local one-stop under the Workforce Investment Act) to host a job and career fair October 15 and 16. The job fair will feature local businesses and manufacturers who are seeking to fill job openings. The career fair will be targeted at local high school students and will consist of a series of special presentations related to interviewing, resume and job search skills. High school seniors will then be directed toward the job fair to speak to company representatives about potential career opportunities. The career fair is free to county high school students.

Training Funding Resources
MAMP has been working with the local community colleges and the local Team Pennsylvania CareerLink to provide information and assistance in available sources of funding for training. We help companies determine whether they are eligible for Customized Job Training (CJT) grants for in-depth advanced training, or WedNet funding for basic or information technology training. Along with identifying a companies need for the money we also assist in the application process.

World of Work Orientation Program
MAMP has partnered with our local Team Pennsylvania CareerLink (our one-stop center under the Workforce Investment Act) and with other local education providers to establish world of work orientation programs for job seekers. Participants of the program will become proficient in basic math, reading, writing, and measurement skills and in teamwork and communication skills. They will also be instructed in basic work maturity issues such as how to dress for work, being on time for work, and how to handle childcare and transportation issues more effectively. Tests will be administered to ensure that participants meet baseline measures in each skill before graduating. Upon graduation, participants will receive a certificate certifying that they have the skills needed for entry-level work. Job seekers who are already proficient in these areas may test out of each section to be eligible to receive a certificate. Employers will be recruited to hire participants of this program.

School-to-Work
MAMP continues to support Schuylkill, Luzerne, and Carbon Counties’ School-to-Work programs through active participation and staff support for school-to-work activities such as job shadowing, classroom speaking, co-operative education, internships, and tours. In addition, MAMP works with our local Team Pennsylvania CareerLinks to build a database of summer employment and internship opportunities for area youth and regularly accepts externs from area post-secondary programs. MAMP’s executive director, Darlene J. Robbins, is the Chairperson of Schuylkill County’s Youth Council.

Mentor network for students and entrepreneurs
MAMP plans to create, in conjunction with the Team PA Career Link, a network of mentors to work with the students in post secondary education who have indicated an interest in manufacturing careers.

In order to accomplish this, MAMP plans to begin a campaign to educate our members on the need for mentoring these students and the benefits our members will realize through participation in the program. We will then recruit members through mailings and by calling each of the 120 manufacturers in Schuylkill County. We hope to recruit not only engineers, but human resource and safety professionals, quality professionals, accountants, IT professionals, sales and marketing professionals, and scientists and R&D workers. We also hope to recruit CEOs and owners of companies to mentor students about starting their own manufacturing facilities. Our CEO’s will then lend their expertise to any new entrepreneur in Schuylkill County.

Database of internship opportunities in manufacturing:
We also plan to create a database of internship opportunities with local manufacturers in order to provide support for students who have completed high school and are now enrolled in manufacturing-related post-secondary education.

At the same time we launch our mentorship campaign, we will launch our campaign to educate our membership on the importance of internships. We will recruit companies to participate through mailings and by calling companies. We will utilize the Ben Franklin Technology Partnership, who has already developed a training tutorial CD, to train participating companies on structuring quality internship opportunities.

MAMP will compile the database and publish a monthly listing of internship opportunities in our regular mailings. The CareerLink centers will offer the database as a free service to individuals accessing center services and if internships are not available in Schuylkill County we will coordinate with NEPA and the worknplaynepa website.