“We need a diverse economy with family-supporting jobs,” wrote Greg Zebrowski, chairman of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, in a recent submission to the Allentown Morning Call. He went on to praise Northampton Community College and Lehigh Carbon Community College for their commitment to preparing Pennsylvanians for in-demand, well-paying careers.

Because that is what community colleges do – they partner with employers, identify gaps in the workforce pipeline, and create programs that train for those specialized careers. And they do it well.

In the Lehigh Valley, for example, Lehigh Carbon Community College recently partnered with Amazon to establish a training program that prepares apprentices in advanced manufacturing – one of only four such Amazon programs nationwide. This type of partnership is being replicated with small, medium and large employers across the Commonwealth. Community colleges partner with more than 1,800 businesses to create programs that meet Pennsylvania’s workforce needs, including educating for High Priority Occupations.