Lebanon Valley College Office of Professional Studies Partners with LCCTC for Workforce Development Education

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Beth Romanski, LVC director of professional studies

ANNVILLE, PA (11/19/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College's Office of Professional Studies has announced a new partnership with the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center (LCCTC) to provide workforce development training to fill a skills gap reported by area employers. The two organizations will celebrate this new program with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. at LCCTC.

"We developed this program after hearing from countless employers that their employees need certain soft skills to be successful and advance upward within a company," said Beth Romanski, LVC's director of professional studies.

In 2013, the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center, in partnership with the South Central Workforce Investment Board, commissioned a survey of local business leaders, educators, and other stakeholders. The principal findings suggest that respondents indicated they had difficulty finding applicants who were adequately skilled in occupation-specific skills, positive work habits and attitudes, communication skills, and problem solving or critical thinking skills. Additionally, respondents indicated that their need for workers with computer skills, ability to adapt to change in duties and responsibilities, problem solving or critical thinking skills, communication skills, team work skills, and occupation-specific skills is expected to increase.

LCCTC and LVC will partner to provide both advanced manufacturing skills and foundational soft skills that are based upon personal effectiveness competencies to students when the program begins in March 2015. This emphasis on manufacturing is a result of the Lebanon County Economic Development Corporation's initiative to provide skills training to local manufacturing companies.

"By developing this combined program of technical skills and supervisory soft skills, LVC and LCCTC are acting as a one-stop resource for employers in our region like no other schools are currently offering, but for which there is a need," Romanski added.

Manufacturing curriculum will cover mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic maintenance; electrical maintenance; and electronics, computing, and PLC's in either an accelerated or semester-long course. Foundational soft skills curriculum will cover communication, critical thinking, organizational behavior, leadership, time management, performance management, and coaching/motivating, among other topics. Upon successful completion of the course, students will have earned the OSHA 30 Certificate and a Certificate of Completion from LCCTC and LVC.

LVC and LCCTC will host a special Employer Breakfast at LCCTC on Feb. 4 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. to provide specific details about the program. For more information, contact Beth Romanski at romanski@lvc.edu or 717-867-6336.