Beaver County commissioner highlights workforce-development collaborations, to promote county at Allegheny Conference

Commissioner Manning told the Beaver County commissioners at their March 5 work session that the county has a growing collaborative approach to workforce development involving the community college, Penn State Beaver and other local partners.

Manning said the county’s partnerships now include certificate programs and training pathways intended to retain and train local residents for in-region jobs. He described the collaborations as a marked change from the past, when articulation agreements and cross-institution cooperation were harder to secure.

Manning added that the Allegheny Conference invited him to speak for 10 minutes to prospective investors about Beaver County’s assets and workforce efforts. "I was proud to represent Beaver County and do my best job selling it," he said.

Manning referenced statewide trends of declining four-year enrollments and said two-year certificate and workforce programs are part of the county’s strategy to keep and train local workers. He pointed to a nursing program and other certificate offerings as examples of the collaborative work.

No formal county action was recorded on workforce policy at the meeting. Manning said he would continue to promote Beaver County at regional meetings and to pursue partnerships that support local training and retention.