“Young people were always put in an either/or conundrum,” Lutz Heidrich told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pennsylvania apprentices in advanced manufacturing can soon count their working hours toward a bachelor’s degree under a new initiative announced on Thursday. State university systems, industry groups, and educational organizations launched PathForwardPA to let workers earn college credits for practical skills gained on the shop floor.
State leaders project that the program will assist workers in advancing their education while helping skilled trades employers fill critical leadership roles. The initiative addresses a looming state deficit in skilled labor.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry estimates the state could need upward of 300,000 skilled trade workers by 2030.
“PathForwardPA demonstrates that students do not need to choose between working or pursuing a college degree,” said Shelley Scherer, president and CEO of PASSHE Foundation.
The program bridges a historical gap between hands-on trade work and higher education. Heidrich, retired president of Bridgeville manufacturer Hennecke Inc., said that transitioning from an apprenticeship to a university degree is common in his native Germany and hopes to establish a similar pipeline in Pennsylvania.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Western University will award college credits to apprentices upon the completion of their training. Participating workers who finish programs as industrial manufacturing technicians or chemistry lab technicians will earn credits toward applied technology management and chemistry degrees.
“What sets PathForwardPA apart is that it recognizes the real learning that happens in an apprenticeship and turns it into credit toward a bachelor’s degree at PASSHE universities,” said Rachel Mauer, president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the German American Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsors and partners backing the initiative include Pittsburgh-based economic development organization Catalyst Connection and the German American Chamber of Commerce’s Pittsburgh chapter. Additional partners involve the Greensburg Salem School District, the Pittsburgh Promise, and the Consortium of Public Education. Philanthropic funding comes from the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation.
The program targets structural hurdles for young adults exiting high school pre-apprenticeship programs. Organizers intend to give current employees the advanced credentials necessary for management positions without requiring them to abandon their jobs.
“PathForwardPA will help us build on that foundation, giving working adults a way to continue their education while supporting themselves and their families,” said James Fisher, interim president of PennWestern.
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