Northampton Community College will use this funding to educate and train machining workers — giving Pennsylvanians from all backgrounds the tools they need to succeed in manufacturing jobs.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-2026 budget proposal emphasizes the need to invest in Pennsylvania’s workers, especially in areas with critical shortages.
Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Rick Siger announced the Shapiro Administration is investing $194,025 through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career<> (MTTC) program to help Northampton Community College<> (NCC) recruit and train students in Precision Machining and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) fundamentals. The program will focus on new and current workers looking to increase their skills as well as students who already have some manufacturing knowledge and experience.
NCC will use the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) grant to implement Fundamentals of Precision Machining and Fundamentals of CNC courses, designed for students of all levels to master the skills needed to effectively operate machinery found in manufacturing spaces. Students that complete the program will earn three industry recognized credentials from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills<>. In total, 30 students will be accepted into the program.
“The Shapiro Administration’s investments in career training programs are building up the workforce of tomorrow and strengthening Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry at the same time,” said Secretary Siger. “MTTC grants like this one to NCC ensure that we’ll have prepared, trained workers to fill critical positions and strengthen our economy. We’ll continue to make these types of smart investments to give all Pennsylvanians access to opportunity.”
For the Precision Machining program, NCC will recruit students from a variety of backgrounds including those who with low-incomes, limited technology skills, are under-employed or unemployed, veterans, or out-of-school youth. Workers with at least one year of manufacturing work experience will be recruited for the CNC program.
“Precision Machining and CNC skills are in high demand throughout Pennsylvania. This is evident from the demand from industry looking to fill open positions within their companies,” said Ken Nasatka, Dean of Automotive, Industry & Manufacturing at NCC. “This funding enables Northampton Community College to train individuals to meet this need. NCC’s goal is to provide these individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure successful careers, as well as pathways into various apprenticeships and college credit opportunities for those pursuing a college degree.”
The MTTC program works collaboratively with local manufacturers to identify and teach missing essential skills for entry level applicants seeking manufacturing employment, engage youth or those with barriers to career opportunities in manufacturing, and or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers.
“We are a college of the community,” said Dr. David A. Ruth, President of NCC. “We are grateful for grants like this that help us to continue to train and upskill our community members to meet the demands of our workforce.”
The Shapiro Administration believes there is no one right path to finding success in the workforce, increasing funding for vo-tech, career and technical education, and apprenticeships by nearly $65 million over the last two years. Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2025-2026 budget proposal<> places a special emphasis on investing in the future of our workforce, increasing competitiveness, strengthening communities, and addressing critical housing needs.
The budget includes:
For more information about the MTTC program or DCED, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook<>, X<>, and LinkedIn<>.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov, 717.783.1116
DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov
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