Pittsburgh Review

Gov. Tom Wolf recently said Slippery Rock University will be receiving $179,181 in funding, made possible by the Pennsylvania Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Program (MTTC).

The funding will go toward a student internship program involving food and beverage manufacturing facilities in the counties of Allegheny, Butler and Erie, Wolf's office said in a release. Students will have the opportunity to spend summers working in the facilities throughout the next two years.

"This paid internship program will give students the invaluable hands-on experience and skills they need to be job-ready for careers in Pennsylvania's food and beverage manufacturing industry," Wolf said in the release. "The program will also greatly benefit the participating manufacturers by developing a highly-skilled pool of potential hires to choose from after the interns graduate."

The companies participating in the internship are 5 Generation Bakers in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County; Puppy Cake in Portersville, Butler County; and Shearer's Food in Waterford, Erie County, Wolf's office said.

Students in the program will be trained on industry protocols, safety, and skills that are essential for employment, Wolf's office said. The higher-level skills students will be mentored on include sustainability consulting on green manufacturing processes that reduce emissions, waste and energy loss while also lowering operating costs.

"This grant provides a great opportunity for our students to acquire manufacturing industry experience while helping them earn money to make their education more affordable," Paul Scanlon, director of sustainability at Slippery Rock University, said in the release. "It also benefits local manufacturers by helping address workforce needs, not only through immediate internships, but by training future contributors and leaders of their industries. We're grateful for this opportunity provided by DCED, which will complement and continue to grow our existing partnerships with local food and beverage manufacturers."

Interns will begin their employment on June 1, Wolf's office said.

Since the Manufacturing PA initiative was launched in October 2017, it has funded 73 projects through investments totaling $16.1 million made possible through the MTTC, Wolf's office said.