NEW CASTLE, Pa. – The Lawrence Mercer Manufacturers Coalition will debut its youth-based initiative, Talent Factory, this fall.
Talent Factory is a hands-on, career awareness program designed to equip young people age 16 to 24 and job seekers with the skills and understanding needed to succeed in modern manufacturing careers.
Talent Factory is the culmination of extensive collaboration among LMMC’s manufacturers and education partners. It reflects the coalition’s mission to reshape perceptions of manufacturing and deliver direct, career-connected learning experiences to a new generation of workers.
As a central hub for manufacturing-related resources in Lawrence and Mercer counties, the Talent Factory website will serve as a matchmaking tool to help schools and employers collaborate on career-connected learning. It will also house information on local training programs, manufacturing career paths and opportunities for engagement such as tours, classroom visits, pre-apprenticeships and more.
“Too many students and job seekers in our region still don’t see manufacturing as a viable option, even though these careers offer great wages, upward mobility and long-term security,” said Anna Barensfeld, vice president of strategic initiatives at Ellwood and LMMC board president. “Talent Factory is our way of closing that awareness gap and offering a clear entry ramp into the field.”
The initiative will launch in partnership with several schools and employers and will serve both in-school youths and adults looking to enter or reenter the workforce. Its flexible format is designed to meet participants where they are and connect them directly with employers ready to hire.
Manufacturers and educators interested in participating or learning more can email Julie Michael Smith at julie@lawrencemercermfg.com.
CREDIT: Lawrence Mercer Manufacturers Coalition.