Education & Training Center at Pitt-Titusville Awarded $199,451 State Grant to Provide Machining, CNC Training to Residents

The Education & Training Center at Pitt-Titusville received a $199,000 state grant to offer pre-apprenticeship programs in basic machining and CNC operations to residents in the region.

The two-year grant is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development’s Manufacturing Training to Career Grant program.

The Manufacturing Assistance Center at ETC at Pitt-Titusville plans to offer its state-approved, 188-hour pre-apprenticeship program to both high school students and nontraditional learners looking to upskill for the regional workforce. The program, which will begin January 2025 and extend to December 2026, will offer significant flexibility through both full-time, part-time, day and evening options.

“This grant will allow us to expand the training possibilities to help build tomorrow’s workforce,” said Dr. Stephanie Fiely, executive director of ETC of Pitt-Titusville. “We are excited to work with both the Titusville Area School District and PENNCREST School District as well as industry partners to ensure we are meeting the needs of the region. In addition, we appreciate that we have several agencies and the DCED on board who see the need to train individuals to ensure machining continues and grows in northwest Pennsylvania.”

Career paths available through the MAC are listed as high-priority occupations in Pennsylvania’s Northwest Workforce Development Area. In addition, these programs will lead to positions that provide benefits and average salaries between $47,460 and $55,701 in the region, according to figures from the Department of Labor and Industry.

Manufacturing employers in northwestern Pennsylvania have significant concerns over the aging workforce, according to the Northwest PA Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the region, which also noted that workforce options for position replacement are scarce.

ETC through the MAC will help to address this issue, Fiely said. The grant funds will help to fortify the regional economic need for basic machinists, CNC operators, and advanced machining through training and economic partnerships, she explained. Students will have access to apprenticeship programs through regional manufacturers.

Several employers were instrumental in helping ETC secure the grant, including Ellwood National Forge, Leech Industries, Precision Profiles, and PROper Technologies Inc., all of which offer regional apprenticeship opportunities for ETC students.

“The expansion of funding opportunities to both school-age students and adults going through the existing program will also grow the limited applicant pool for positions at our company,” said Mark Proper, president of PROper Technologies Inc. “There is a significant shortage of skilled talent in our area, and these programs offered through the MAC will be vital to raising awareness and interest in the skilled machinist trade going forward.”

According to federal figures, 43% of the population in Crawford, Forest, Venango, Warren, and Erie counties are designated as low income, while 60% of the population is below the 200% poverty line established by the federal government.

In addition, 68% of students at Titusville Area High School and 53% of students at Maplewood High School, the two participating high schools, are low income. Since 40% of students at both schools are below the poverty line, all Title I programs designed will help students meet state content and performance standards in reading, language arts and mathematics.

Patti Fiely, director of student services for PENNCREST School District, said, “Given the limited number of slots for students to attend Career & Technical Education courses, we have many students who are not on track to attend college and not received the opportunity to gain CTE skills allowing them to enter the workforce with skills needed for higher earnings and satisfaction.”

“The partnerships the MAC has created with local manufacturers and the ability of students to work with and learn from these companies is invaluable to these students who did not have plans for their future prior to this opportunity,” Fiely added.

In addition to traditional students, ETC plans to provide training options for low-literacy and low-income adults through partnerships with the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5, Corry Higher Education Council and St. Benedict Education Center.

Matthew Platz, executive director of the Corry Higher Education Council, said, “Our collective partnership helps to identify adults who may benefit from training and provide them with the support they need to complete the MAC training enabling them to move into family sustaining jobs.”

The MAC program at ETC at Pitt-Titusville offers flexibility and options for every kind of learner, from traditional high school students to adults looking to for a new direction or desiring a professional pivot.

To learn more about the MAC programs or to apply, visit upt.pitt.edu/mac or call Melanie LaLone, MAC’s workforce readiness & recruitment coordinator at 814-827-4437.