SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — A new Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant is opening doors for students in Scranton, as Johnson College received $199,675 for career training.

Awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the funding will provide assistance to students participating in the college’s Readiness in Skilled Employment (RISE) manufacturing programs.

Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate Vice President of Special Programs at Johnson College, explained who the funding will support and how students in the college’s RISE program will benefit.

“The Manufacturing-To-Career Grant that we received is going to help students in our industrial areas. So, Mechatronics, Electronic Engineering, Welding, Welding Fabrication, and our industrial technology programs all fall into that,” said Williams.

“This program helps students remove barriers while they’re going through the technical training that they receive here at Johnson College. So, the funding that we received is going to help with their tuition, and it’ll help with personal protective equipment, some of their technology, needs and tools that they’ll need within their program areas,” said Williams.

Williams noted that the grant goes beyond equipment upgrades, enhancing the RISE program’s support for low-income students seeking sustainable careers while offering hands-on engagement with regional manufacturing employers.

“It’s going to help alleviate the barriers of the outside world when they’re attending their education here at Johnson. But ultimately, it’s going to help them through technical training so that they can get careers for life-sustaining wages and improve their situation,” said Williams.

The grant will fund support services and tuition assistance for up to 15 RISE students, and Williams explained the straightforward process for students to get involved.

“Once you apply to the program, then there’s like a small interview process, and then we start helping with coaching and case management before you get into the program to alleviate and identify the barriers before you actually sit in the classroom, so that when you’re sitting in our classroom, you’re ready to go,” said Williams.

Williams said the college’s RISE program is now accepting applications.

To learn more about the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant, click here.