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Grant Award Descriptions
Work Certified™ Program
Grantor: Erie Community Foundation
Award: $25,000
Employers in the region have continually expressed the need for employees to have “soft skills” that are geared towards industry. A program and curriculum developed by employers and workforce investment boards, Work Certified™ “not only addresses basic and soft skills, but also prepares individuals to understand and fulfill their role in business. This behavioral modification, team-building program advances job seekers' self-esteem, which better enables them to find a job and keep a job.” Through a partnership between the Regional Center for Workforce Excellence, the PA CareerLink® Erie, the Greater Erie Community Action Committee, and St. Benedict Education Center, a pilot program has been launched that serves many individuals seeking employment and allows them to receive free training that results in a “work-readiness” certification that is beginning to be recognized by local employers. Through the Erie Community Foundation’s Human Services and Community Development grant opportunity, many of the participants who had faced significant barriers to employment and completed their certification are now either working or in training. Approximately 78 individuals have successfully completed the program as of April 2010.
Ticket to Work
Grantor: AHEDD
Award(s): $12,000 (Erie County) + $12,000 (Warren, Forest, Venango, Clarion, and Crawford Counties)
The region’s PA CareerLinks®, the Greater Erie Community Action Committee, Partners for Performance, and the Northwest PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation worked together to provide outreach to individuals with disabilities with a grant made possible through the Association for Habilitation & Employment of Developmentally Disabled - AHEDD. The AHEDD program, “Ticket to Work,” provided funding to hold workshops and educational sessions that informed job seekers and unemployed individuals on the workforce incentive programs available through the Social Security Administration.
RoboBOTS: Pipeline Development for the Careers of Tomorrow
Grantor: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
Amount: $62,800
RoboBOTS is a highly successful, innovative education and training program that prepares youth for high-demand and emerging careers while meeting the employer-identified skill needs of the advanced manufacturing industry. The RoboBOTS curriculum unleashes the creative potential of mathematical reasoning, scientific analysis, and the clear articulation of ideas by engaging students in grades 7-12 in hands-on invention and teamwork that focuses on real world skills through the process of creating competitive robots. The program also allows students to connect directly with local manufacturing employers for exposure to career opportunities, provides professional development for educators, and generates a great deal of enthusiasm and education in the community—particularly for the annual regional competition.
Oracle ERP Training
Grantor: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
Amount: $200,000
The Regional Center for Workforce Excellence and the Penn State Behrend College in Erie are collaborating on an initiative in high-demand Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) training. This training and workforce development initiative will have far-reaching economic and competitiveness impacts. Oracle Corporation currently has more than 30,000 application customers, including some of the country’s largest employers, with more than 3,500 application partners. Through this grant, dislocated workers will receive guidance on the training opportunity at the PA CareerLink® and through targeted marketing efforts of Penn State Erie’s Continuing Education office. Potential dislocated worker Oracle trainees will receive WorkKeys assessments at the PA CareerLink® to gauge their readiness for training, as well as be connected with any supportive services, referrals, and additional resources to help them succeed. Incumbent workers will be supported through services at the Penn State Erie Continuing Education Department, where staff will assist those enrolling in the training to complete an assessment to indicate their capacity for entering the training. In addition, scholarships will be provided to support individuals who enroll in the Oracle ERP training, which will be supplied by the PA CareerLink® and Regional Center for Workforce Excellence through this grant.
