Higher Education
Hazleton is home to a branch campus of the Pennsylvania State University, one of the largest public colleges in the country, and two community colleges — Luzerne County Community College and Lackawanna College — operate campuses and hold classes in the city both day and night, as does College Misericordia.
Many other excellent public and private universities and colleges surround the city and provide everything from two-year associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees to post-graduate and doctoral programs. Humboldt Industrial Park is within 60 miles of 28 college campuses with a total enrollment of close to 93,000 students. For more information on Education resources in Northeast Pennsylvania click here.
Workforce Development & Job Training
Guaranteed Free Training (WEDnet PA) is a grant program that helps employers reduce training costs in two major categories – Basic Skills and Information Technology. Trainees must be PA residents, employed in PA, be permanent fulltime employees and earn at least 150% of current federal minimum wage. Basic Skills: must be front-line employee or first level supervisor. Information Technology: must be technical worker, ITT professional OR front-line employee/first level supervisor of a manufacturing company who is limited to receiving advanced applied manufacturing training only.
Partners in Education (PIE) brings business and education leaders together in an innovative program designed to make sure all students leave school with the academic, technical, and employability skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century workplace. Through PIE, educators and business leaders visit each other's workplace to develop ways to integrate real-life skills into the school curriculum. The group also educates students, administrators, and teachers as to what kinds of jobs are available in Greater Hazleton.
Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association is dedicated to providing information and services to help companies remain competitive in today's business world. The Association provides vehicles for networking, such as tours of manufacturing facilities, dinner meetings with relevant keynote speakers, Executive Roundtables, conferences, rapid response surveys and more. This networking allows company professionals to pool information and exchange ideas; employers recognize mutual problems and find ways to avoid them.
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is a federal training grant program managed on the local level by workforce investment boards. The program reimburses employers up to 50% of eligible employees’ wages during the training period. Training can occur on the job or in a classroom setting. Eligible employees typically include those who meet certain income requirements or who are recently dislocated or who are veterans of the United States military.
