Millersville, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Director of Workforce Development Initiatives Gwen Ross announced the Shapiro Administration’s new $200,000 investment in the Robotic Worx program at Millersville University, which equips high school and undergraduate students with the opportunity to address genuine manufacturing problems through automation and robotics.

Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration are committed to developing a strong pipeline of workers through career training to boost the Commonwealth’s manufacturing industry and create more options for Pennsylvanians to succeed.

The new Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) grant will create paid student internships and support training and supplies for the program in Millersville University’s state-of-the-art Solutions Lab. The state’s investment will help ensure that financial barriers do not prevent talented students from participating in the training program.

“Investing in programs like Millersville University’s Robotic WorX is essential to building a skilled workforce and strengthening Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry,” said Director Gwen Ross. “The Shapiro Administration is proud to invest in advanced technology training programs like this one that inspire students and adults and helps put them on the path to a good paying manufacturing career.”

With help from the MTTC grant, the Robotic WorX program expects to impact more than 2,000 individuals over the next two years through increased high school participations, additional internship, peer mentoring, and engagement events for local organizations. The program provides a link between STEM education and career pathways through internships, job shadow experiences, and tours in which participants engage with cutting-edge automation and robotics technologies.

“We’re very thankful for the grant from the Shapiro Administration,” said John Haughery, Robotic WorX Co-Founder and Program Coordinator of Millersville’s Automation & Robotics Engineering Technology program. “The Robotic WorX program provides so many entry points to Pennsylvania’s automation and robotics pipeline. From first time experience with robotics, to getting your hands on a collaborative robot, to spending a semester long internship developing state-of-the-art automation technologies for real manufacturing problems in PA and beyond, this program offers so much to so many”.

A partnership between Millersville University and Precision Cobotics, the Robotic WorX program connects middle school, high school, undergraduate, and community groups in Lancaster County with real-world STEM career training in manufacturing to meet the growing need of the region’s industry.

“This hands-on experience, using the latest in AI and robotics technologies, creates clear career pathways in this exciting field,” said John Bridgen, Robotic WorX Co-Founder and Director of Customer Satisfaction and Co-Worker Advancement at Precision Cobotics. “I found my passion for the field of automation and manufacturing when I was given a college internship in the packaging department at M&M/Mars in Elizabethtown. This grant from the Shapiro Administration pays that forward by allowing us to connect the real-world problems of manufacturing in Pennsylvania with area high school STEM students.”

The MTTC grant program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and/or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.

Governor Shapiro and his Administration are committed to investing in classroom to career and apprenticeship programs to provide skill-building opportunities for Pennsylvanians and a strong workforce for businesses. Having robust job training programs across Pennsylvania will provide pathways for workers to earn family-sustaining wages and help build vibrant communities. For more information about his commitment to workers, businesses, and our economy, visit the Governor’s website.

For more information about the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career program or the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Penny Ickes, dcedpress@pa.gov

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