Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced $130,000 in new funding for the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, through Pennsylvania’s Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program, to support a manufacturing career awareness program in multiple southeastern Pennsylvania counties, including Bucks, where young manufacturing professionals talk to high school students about the benefits and rewards of a career in manufacturing.
The “Dream Team” program will recruit young manufacturing professionals from area companies to serve as ambassadors and visit high schools in Bucks and surrounding counties to speak with students, teachers and administrators about their profession, its requirements and its rewards.
DVIRC, through the Dream Team program, is partnering with a number of manufacturing companies to recruit ambassadors. In Bucks County, partners include NewAge Industries in Southampton, Ameriscend in Warminster and Bracalente Manufacturing Group in Trumbauersville.
“This is an exciting and innovative program that I’m proud to support,” said Wolf. “Funding will be used to introduce students to the industry and encourage them to consider manufacturing-related careers after high school or as part of their post-secondary education. Ultimately, the goal is to build and improve the talent pool for southeastern Pennsylvania manufacturing companies, which is a true win-win for everyone.”
DVIRC will recruit no less than 15 young professionals from area companies to serve as ambassadors and will train them about the goals of the program and how to deliver compelling presentations about their jobs. The program will then engage no less than 15 high schools where each ambassador will make at least one presentation each.
“This award is outstanding news for our region’s manufacturers and will enable us to pilot the Dream Team program in southeastern Pennsylvania, an important career awareness initiative that brings young professionals into high schools to tell students and teachers about their careers in modern manufacturing,” said Barry Miller, president and CEO of DVIRC. “Dream Team is one piece of a larger effort to raise awareness about the great job opportunities in manufacturing and we’re grateful to the Wolf Administration for their confidence in and support of this program.”
