Industry Partnerships
In today’s economy, businesses need highly skilled workers, workers need good jobs and career opportunities, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its economic regions need top quality companies and workers. Industry Partnerships are a particular kind of “workforce intermediary,” that bring together multiple employers and workers, or worker representatives when appropriate, in the same industry cluster to address common or overlapping human capital needs. Industry Partnerships are a key institutional innovation for meeting the skills needs of businesses, the career goals of workers, and the economic development goals of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth is making funds available ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 to strengthen existing partnerships and seed fund the development of new partnerships in nine targeted industry clusters.

Targeted Industry Clusters
The Commonwealth’s targeted industry clusters and eight sub-clusters were based on detailed industry analysis, the local knowledge of leading Local Workforce Investment Boards, and input from educators and representatives of the Departments of Labor & Industry and Community and Economic Development. Each of the targeted industry clusters consists of a group of industries that are closely linked by common product markets, labor pools, similar technologies, supply chains, and/or other economic ties. Those industries are:

1. Advanced Materials and Diversified Manufacturing:
2. Agriculture and Food Processing
3. Building and Construction
4. Business and Financial Services
5. Education
6. Energy
7. Information and Communication Services
8. Logistics and Transportation
9. Lumber, Wood and Paper
10. Life Sciences including Bio-Medical and Health Care