Career Ready Lancaster!

Thank you, Warfel Construction Company, for your continuous contribution to career readiness and enhancing Lancaster workforce development! Your support helps build a stronger future for our community. 👏 #WorkforceDevelopment #CareerReadiness #LancasterPA

Last Friday, we had an excellent turnout for the CRL! Connections Meeting! The event focused on Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) and provided valuable insights into running successful apprenticeship programs in Lancaster County. We are deeply grateful to our presenters for sharing their expertise and inspiring discussions: 🔹Mr. Joseph Bass from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry’s Apprenticeship and Training Office shared state resources for Registered Apprenticeship programs, along with tips for program development and achieving approval. 🔹Astro Machine Works representatives, Ms. Charissa Gift, SHRM-SCP (Intern Manager) and Mr. Chris Roth (Department Supervisor and Apprenticeship Coach), along with Benchmark Construction Company’s Mr. Billy Lastinger (General Superintendent), shared inspiring stories about their apprenticeship journeys. Their real-world perspectives on building successful programs and retaining apprentices post-program were invaluable. 🔹Mr. Brian Paterniti from The Manufacturers' Association (MA) highlighted local resources and employer support for building effective apprenticeship programs. We were especially thrilled to hear from John Bridgen about Precision Cobotics’ upcoming partnership with MA—an exciting example of the connections CRL! fosters! 🔹Ms. Rae Ann Miller from EDC Lancaster County's Center for Regional Analysis provided data-driven insights into local RA demand and opportunities, shedding light on the region's needs and potential. The meeting concluded with an inspiring presentation by McCaskey High School juniors and seniors, participants of the School District of Lancaster’s Educators Rising program, who shared their journey in preparing for careers in education. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Angela Hendrix and the Benchmark Construction team for hosting the event and for being close partners in career readiness and development with CRL! The energy and engagement from all attendees were truly motivating. This enthusiasm fuels our commitment to driving impactful initiatives. We look forward to fostering more connections, sharing insights, and supporting career readiness in our future CRL! meetings. Thank you to everyone who participated—we couldn’t do it without you! #careerready #careerreadylancaster #workforcedevelopment

Amazing! We are so proud to be apart of this initiative. Keep up the great work, we are thrilled to see more students participating in this program and gaining valuable onsite experience and knowledge.

CRL! QUARTERLY CONNECTIONS MEETING – JANUARY 24 It's that time again! If you know, you know. If you haven’t attended our meeting before, get ready to be welcomed into a space full of meaningful relationships and exciting updates on career readiness and development initiatives happening across the county, shared by our community partners, educators, and businesses. Each of our meetings is thoughtfully curated with valuable insights and success stories from businesses and educators leading the way in creating inclusive, forward-thinking workforce development programs, career pathways, and impactful collaborations that drive positive change. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and grow with fellow leaders dedicated to shaping the future of our workforce! 📅 Friday, January 24. 🕗 7:45 AM - 9:30 AM. Networking starts at 7:45. 📍 Benchmark Construction 📌 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eG8Nt8i3 #CareerReadyLancaster #WorkforceDevelopment #CommunityConnections #CRLQuarterlyMeeting #CareerReady #CareerDevelopment

Transcending barriers does indeed build bridges. There is so much talent in Lancaster of all ages. Finding ways to harness it is the work to be done. SDOL, thank you! Kids, great job. The future is bright.

Congratulations to Sean Cramer, a 4th-year apprentice and graduate of Thaddeus Stevens College, who was recognized by Bill Lastinger, General Superintendent! Sean is currently part of Benchmark Construction Company's apprenticeship program, contributing to the Stevens & Smith Historic Site project. Benchmark has a long-standing commitment to apprenticeships. Since 1988, 78 individuals have completed their registered apprenticeship program, shaping the future of skilled trades. Today, 14 of 32 superintendents and 25 of 36 carpenters at Benchmark began their careers as apprentices. "We absolutely believe in apprenticeship." – Billy Lastinger #NationalApprenticeshipWeek #SkilledTrades #WorkforceDevelopment #construction #lancasterpa

Apprenticeship is not just in the construction industry. It’s happening across industry sectors. If intersted in exploring apprenticeship for your company, school, or organization reach out and plan on attending the next CRL! Connections Meeting on January 24 when we will focus on the process and benefits of apprenticeship.

National Apprenticeship Week Join CRL! in celebrating National Apprenticeship Week In the past nine years, registered apprenticeships have grown with over 2.4 million new registered apprentices representing over 90% growth and 23,729 new Registered Apprenticeship programs across the US. In Lancaster, apprenticeship is expanding to include the health care industry, automotive, and education with interest across all industry sectors. Companies are exploring registered apprenticeships to recruit and retain employees. We are fortunate in Lancaster County to have ABC Keystone and Manufacturers' Association to manage apprenticeship for the construction industry and the manufacturing industry and to start young people on a career path through Pre-Apprenticeship. If you are interested in learning more about apprenticeship for your company, contact Kimberley Patrick, CRL! registered apprenticeship navigator, kpatrick@lancastercountywib.com.  #NAW2024 #ApprenticeshipUSA #careerpathways

This is how a bench is built! Well done, Benchmark. I know the students are going to learn a great deal this summer from the Benchmark team who is so committed to raising up the next generation of workers.

Career Ready Lancaster! Is proud to be a sponsor of the Workforce 2030 Summit. Registration is now open. We hope to see you there 👍🏼 @lancasterstem #crl #careerreadylancaster #workforcedevelopment #businesseducationpartnerships