The Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions

Private and public funders from across the state joined forces to create The Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions, which blends investments (more than $3 million to date) from private and public funders to support the goal of increasing opportunities for lower-skilled workers through grant making, capacity building, and advocacy efforts within the state’s Targeted Industry Clusters:

• Workforce and Employer Systems Change
• Policy Change
• Develop Civic and Business Leadership for Workforce Systems Change

Funding Collaborative Accomplishments

• Strengthened PFWS Investor Committee through recruitment of United Way of PA, PA Department of Labor and Industry, PA Partners, Technology Council of Central PA, Manufactures Association of South Central PA, Team Pennsylvania Foundation, and PA AFL-CIO.
• Led advocacy effort which led both PA House and Senate to pass legislation that embeds Industry Partnership program in statute.
• Contributed to significant advancement of “community of practice” (IP Network) of IP coordinators, and to general consensus (among state, PA Partners, IP coordinators, PFWS, business organizations) on plan for upgrading performance management system for IPs.
• Served approximately 800 job seekers and incumbent workers from October 2010 to March 2011.

Current Local Funding Partners

• United Way of Pennsylvania
• The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
• Erie Community Foundation
• United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
• The Pittsburgh Foundation
• William Penn Foundation
• Pennsylvania AFL-CIO
• Technology Council of Central PA
• Manufacturers Association of South Central PA
• Job Opportunity Investment Network
• Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board

Current Workforce Partnerships

• Northwest Health Care Industry Partnership: Revises process for recruitment into entry-level health care jobs at two hospitals, in partnership with public sector “one-stop” center in Erie; once on the job, placements receive comprehensive career coaching services.
• Labor-Management Clearinghouse: A multi-sector (construction, utilities, building services, hospitality) labor-management partnership in SW PA.
• Spanish-American Civic Association: Intake, assessment, and referral intermediary that services the Latino Community of the City and County of Lancaster, and that helps workers obtain jobs in businesses participating in area workforce partnerships, including in advanced manufacturing, construction, and health care.
• Keystone Utility Partnership:  Statewide partnership that is implementing recruitment, assessment, and placement services for low-income workers in a pre-apprenticeship program that leads to line worker apprenticeships; KUP partners with public sector “one stops” (CareerLinks in PA) in multiple WIB regions.
• Reading-Berks Construction Industry Partnership: Provides pre-apprenticeships for in-school youth, out-of-school youth, and adults.

Cumulative Match Funding to Date

$5,024,794

Sector Focus

• Financial Services
• Healthcare
• Life Sciences
• Manufacturing