The Pennsylvania Allies Program was designed for professionals working in roles that actively support economic development organizations (EDOs) and their efforts within PA communities. Through the provision of training for local stakeholders, they - along with their local or regional EDOs - will be well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities to jointly champion their communities. With this aim in mind, we're sharing the following story of an economic development success that was made possible because a number of community-minded individuals and organizations recognized the project's importance and committed themselves to working together through the processes necessary to achieve their vision.

The Problem: In June 2022, Crawford County’s Precision Manufacturing Institute closed their doors. The closing of this facility left the community in a position without a local training facility available for the advanced manufacturing and technical workforce. It also left a vacant facility that was owned by the Economic Progress Alliance of Crawford County (EPACC). Crawford County has had a 20% growth in the aerospace, research and information technology industries in recent years combined with a decline in skilled workers for these positions.

The Coalition: To address the problem, EPACC convened a group of stakeholders including local manufacturers, educators, the NWPA Chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association, as well as representatives from Allegheny College. The conversations began about what type of training the local employers truly needed, and if Allegheny College would be able to develop a curriculum to accommodate the local training needs.

The Process & Outcome: After a year of meetings and planning, Allegheny College expanded their Allegheny Lab for Innovation and Creativity (ALIC) to bring local workforce development and education resources into the community in order to meet the demands of employers and fill the training gap. EPACC was able to provide the necessary facility to the College, and the College was able to work alongside employers to develop a curriculum. The facility is now a training and production hub, has advanced manufacturing laboratories, and a research and development incubator. The space has advanced manufacturing equipment that mimics real world environments to provide offsite training and onboarding opportunities for local businesses. The facility also offers course offerings and workshops to include areas that were noted to be of necessity for the community. This truly was an intersection of liberal arts educations and emerging technologies with a focus on workforce and economic development. It was an unlikely partnership that solved a major community problem.