Elk and Cameron Counties Education Industry Partnership

Elk and Cameron counties lie in the heart of a manufacturing-based workforce area, with Cameron County reporting manufacturing employment of 55.8 percent and Elk County reporting 42.5 percent in 2005. With such a large manufacturing base, school districts as well as other postsecondary providers have established programs, in response to industry needs, to prepare young people for future employment. This has been an effective tool in preparing the youth, but a much more comprehensive, collaborative approach to providing postsecondary technical educational is needed. A partnership has been formed to review the feasibility of a technical education system responsive to the needs of local employers.