New State Funding Expands Students Exposure to Manufacturing Careers in the Commonwealth

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced new funding to expand the statewide ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ student video contest. The grants were approved for the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in the Lehigh Valley and the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC).

“This administration has placed an incredible emphasis on developing Pennsylvania’s manufacturing workforce,” Governor Wolf said. “One of the best ways to do that is by getting the next generation excited about these careers. The ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ student video contest has steadily grown over the years. We’re excited to see it continue to grow in the years ahead supported by this funding.”

The ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ contest is dedicated to changing perceptions and attitudes in Pennsylvania about advanced manufacturing careers. The contest pairs teams of middle school students with local manufacturers. The student teams then create a video profile that shows what the manufacturers produce, how they make their products, and why the manufacturer is a great place to work. The contest grew from only one contest in the Lehigh Valley to a series of 15 contests statewide in this upcoming year. These new grants will provide $134,200 to DVIRC and $169,000 to MRC to further expand the contest to more schools, more students, and more manufacturers in the years ahead.

“The “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” competition is a unique way to simultaneously promote the value of STEM education and the exciting future of manufacturing to the region,” said Barry Miller, President and CEO of DVIRC. “We’re really excited to be able to expand the contest and reach so many young people, who are the future of modern manufacturing in the Philadelphia area. The response of educators and manufacturers to this program is outstanding.”

“The students and their teachers put an amazing amount of work into their projects, meeting with manufacturers, filming and editing their videos,” said Jack Pfunder, president & CEO of MRC. “The success of this program across the state of Pennsylvania, and the country, validates its design, which is to raise awareness about manufacturing career opportunities for our students.”

Funding was provided from the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Training-to-Career grant. The Training-to-Career grant is one of three components of Governor Wolf’s Manufacturing PA initiative, along with Industrial Resource Centers and the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Innovation Program, that was launched in October 2017. This initiative ensures that training leads not simply to any job, but to careers that provide higher pay and opportunities for advancement. Working with DCED’s strategic partners, including Industrial Resource Centers (IRCs), Pennsylvania’s colleges, universities, technical schools, and non-profit organizations, this initiative fosters collaboration and partnerships to accelerate technology advancement, encourage innovation and commercialization, and build a 21st century workforce.

The ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ contest also aligns with Governor Wolf’s PAsmart initiative, which invests $30 million to build the next generation of Pennsylvania’s workforce. The initiative includes $20 million for expanding STEM and computer science education and $7 million for supporting apprenticeships across the commonwealth.