Montgomery County Community College’s Workforce Development Division invited employers from across the county interested in learning more about state funding for employee training to attend its annual Business Roundtable. 

The virtual event held on June 25 reviewed the Pennsylvania training grant, Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania, WEDnetPA, which provides qualified employers training funds for new and existing employees. MCCC has administered the grant for Montgomery County since 1999.

“The program is funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development,” said Bernadette DeBias, MCCC Director of Workforce Development. “Developing skills is extremely important. This can be a source for you as you are looking to train individuals and offset the cost with the grant. The goal is to help companies become more competitive by improving the skills of your existing workforce.”

During the discussion, speakers addressed significant changes in WEDnetPA eligibility and a new technology platform. One such change, for example, is that for the fiscal year 2025-2026, applications for the grant will now open Aug. 1 instead of the usual June 1 opening date, said DeBias. The College, as the WEDnetPA partner, is expected to have 75 percent of its funds committed by Oct. 31 and 100 percent committed by the end of November, if the state budget is funded in a timely manner. It is important for companies to schedule visits now in anticipation of submitting applications Aug. 1. 

Another major change is that companies must be aligned with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 10-year economic development strategy targeted sectors including manufacturing, life sciences, energy, agriculture, robotics and technology. In addition, companies that were once eligible for the grant may not be now, under the new eligibility criteria, said DeBias. Lastly, companies with statewide turnover of 25 percent or greater are not generally eligible. 

There are 22 higher education institutions and education partners statewide, which serve as WEDnetPA partners. Employers are welcome to select any one of them to work with, though DeBias recommended partnering with the institution closest to a company’s physical location, as regular site visits from the partner institution are a program requirement.

“The state requires site visits every three years,” said DeBias. “As the partner, I require site visits every year. I want to come to your company, I want to understand your business operation, I want to understand your objectives and what you’re really looking to accomplish. It enables us to develop a consultative relationship, where I can truly help you and help you prioritize your training.”  

The Workforce Development Annual Business Roundtable also included a keynote address by Anna Brown, Economist and Vice President of Education Professional Services at Lightcast, on the national and regional economy. She said the national employment rate is projected to grow slower than it did pre-pandemic at 0.3 percent annually.

“Meaning we’ll add about 4.5 million workers through 2032,” she said. In Montgomery County, the most robust employment gains will be seen in the social assistance and ambulatory health care fields. 

Jennifer Butler, Deputy Secretary/Executive Director of MontcoWorks, the County’s workforce development board, discussed the Pennsylvania CareerLink (county) program. Program benefits for employers include screening for potential candidates, hosting hiring events, connections to industry partnerships, apprenticeship coordinators and workforce organization, and access to labor market information. 

Following Butler’s presentation, Dennis Noble, MCCC’s Workforce Leadership Trainer, led a mini-training session on “Crucial Conversations” to help leaders and managers navigate difficult discussions that significantly impact those involved.

MCCC’s Workforce Development Division can customize training for area companies and deliver the training onsite or virtually. For more information, contact Bernadette DeBias.