Committee Hearings L&I

Senate Hearing Overview: Workforce Development and Job Training Programs

The DT Firm

March 5, 2026

Overview of the Hearing

The committee held a hearing focused on workforce development, job training programs, and related budget requests across several state agencies.
Discussion centered on program funding, definitions, cross-agency collaboration, and workforce outcomes, particularly as they relate to major initiatives such as Grow PA, WEDnetPA, Career Connect, Tech Central, and apprenticeship programs.
No legislation was introduced and no votes were taken during the hearing. The session primarily served as a policy and budget oversight discussion.

Workforce Development Programs and Budget Requests

Core Workforce Program Funding

WEDnetPA (Employer-Based Training)

Proposed funding increase to $12.5 million.
Officials recommended creating a dedicated line item to improve transparency and performance tracking.
Program supports employer-driven workforce training initiatives.

Career Connect (New Initiative)

Proposed funding: approximately $2 million.
Designed to build public-private partnerships between employers, universities, and workforce providers.
Goal: retain skilled workers in Pennsylvania and strengthen connections between education and employment.

Manufacturing Training to Career

Proposed funding: approximately $4.7 million.
Focuses on introducing middle and high school students to manufacturing careers.
Includes both career awareness and technical training components.

PA First

State’s primary job creation incentive program.
Workforce training expenses can be funded through PA First, including:
- Training equipment
- On-the-job training
- Workforce development partnerships with employers.

Education and Workforce Pipeline Programs

Schools to Work and Related Initiatives

Officials highlighted several education-to-workforce pipeline programs:

Schools to Work Program
Dual enrollment initiatives
Industry-recognized credential pathways
Apprenticeship-aligned training opportunities

These programs aim to connect students with career pathways earlier, particularly in high-demand industries.

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)

Budget Request and Program Focus

OVR requested an additional $1 million in funding.
Funding would support vocational rehabilitation services that help individuals with disabilities prepare for and maintain employment.
Testimony emphasized the importance of flexible funding mechanisms, including support for apprenticeships involving individuals with disabilities.

Workforce Success Metrics

Officials outlined how success is measured across workforce programs.

Key Performance Indicators

Job retention and persistence
- Tracking employment outcomes at 1 year and 3 years following training.
Employer outcomes
- Growth and expansion of participating companies.
- Regional labor force participation rates.
Credential attainment
- Alignment between training credentials and available job opportunities.
Job placement and stability
- Ensuring training programs lead to long-term employment rather than short-term job placement.

Apprenticeship Model

Apprenticeships were highlighted as a high-value workforce tool, since workers:
- Earn wages during training
- Gain industry-recognized credentials
- Transition into stable employment.

Grow PA and Cross-Agency Workforce Strategy

Overview of Grow PA

Grow PA is a strategic initiative aimed at retaining talent within Pennsylvania by aligning workforce development with high-demand industries.

Key Elements

Collaboration between:
- Department of Labor & Industry
- Department of Community and Economic Development
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- State Board of Higher Education
Efforts to align education pipelines with employer demand.

Case Study: Eli Lilly Investment in Pennsylvania

Officials cited the Eli Lilly project in the Lehigh Valley as a major example of coordinated workforce development.

Project Overview

Lilly committed $3.5 billion investment to build a new facility.
Expected to create 850 jobs.

Workforce Training Partnership

The project required extensive coordination among:

State agencies
Community colleges
Private sector partners.

Training partners included:

Montgomery County Community College
Regional institutions in the Lehigh Valley
A partner institution in North Carolina.

State Support

Pennsylvania provided a $5 million capital grant to support workforce training infrastructure and site readiness.

Officials described this project as a model for future large-scale economic development projects.

Tech Central / Tech Centro Workforce Network

Program Overview

Tech Centro began in Lancaster County and has expanded to eight counties, including a new presence in Philadelphia.
The program focuses on multilingual workforce training and addressing language barriers to employment.

Program Goals

Help workers enter family-sustaining jobs.
Provide community-based workforce development services.
Expand workforce opportunities for immigrant and multilingual populations.

Officials noted strong bipartisan support for expanding the model.

Apprenticeship Programs: Roles of State Agencies

The hearing clarified the distinct roles of the Department of Labor & Industry and DCED in apprenticeship development.

Department of Labor & Industry (L&I)

Responsible for:

Registering apprenticeship programs
Supporting program sponsors
Monitoring program outcomes
Administering apprenticeship grants
Using workforce data to guide program investment.

L&I also operates the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, which identifies workforce demand in sectors such as healthcare and agriculture.

Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED)

Responsible for:

Funding apprenticeship-related initiatives through grants
Supporting pre-apprenticeship and workforce training programs
Aligning workforce investments with regional economic development strategies.

Example

A regional welding apprenticeship program could receive:

Equipment funding from DCED
Registration and oversight through L&I.

Artificial Intelligence and Future Workforce Planning

Officials addressed how AI and technological change may impact the workforce.

Key Points

Agencies are studying emerging labor market trends with the Department of Education and workforce partners.
AI is expected to augment government services and workforce programs, not eliminate jobs.
The state aims to replicate the public-private collaboration model used in the Lilly project to adapt to emerging industries such as life sciences and advanced manufacturing.

OVR Waitlist and Federal Funding Challenges

Federal Funding Constraints

Officials reported that federal vocational rehabilitation funding remained flat in 2024, resulting in:

A loss of approximately $12.5 million in program funding
Hiring freezes and office consolidations.

Current Waitlist Status

As of the hearing:

0 individuals waiting in the most significantly disabled category
1,319 individuals waiting in the “significantly disabled” category
163 individuals waiting in the general disability category

Total waitlist: 1,404 individuals.

Proposed State Funding

The Governor’s proposed budget includes $500,000 in state funding for services not covered by federal VR funding, including:

Services for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
Services for blind and visually impaired individuals, including braille instruction and white cane training.

Questions from Committee Members

Senator Robinson

Focused on:

Targeting of apprenticeship investments
Long-term employment outcomes
Readiness of trainees to fill open positions.

Senator Kaine

Asked about:

Implementation of Grow PA
Coordination with higher education institutions
Workforce programs such as Tech Central
Development of a teacher registered apprenticeship program.

Senator Brown

Raised questions about long-term workforce planning, including how Pennsylvania is preparing for labor market changes over the next 20 years.

Senator Williams and Senator Culver