Utilities

The proposed Keystone Development Partnership would bring together the state’s largest unionized utilities and utility unions, starting with a focus on the electric utility industry. Its mission would be to promote the competitiveness of the affiliated employers and the retention and growth of family sustaining careers. The KDP will organize joint policy steering committees for each employer, and they will include managers and union officers.

This is an exploratory partnership in the energy/extraction industries to: determine the appropriateness and need for an Energy Industry Partnership; bring together key industry leaders, workforce and economic development, and education representatives to form a focus group; increase and expand knowledge of the industry’s needs relating to its future workforce; inventory knowledge-based skills through relevant career paths; and ensure that education is aware of the required skills for the industry.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania plans to develop a Northwest Pennsylvania industry partnership for a new cluster within information technology focused on radio frequency identification.