WILLIAMSPORT, PA. – May 29, 2025 – The state Department of Education has awarded a $50,000 Job Training and Education Programs Grant to Pennsylvania College of Technology to enhance economic and educational development in the Lehigh Valley.
Supported, in-part, by the efforts of state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14, chair of the Senate Minority Policy Committee, and state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-134, majority chair of the House Education Committee, the grant provides backing to develop and grow workforce, economic and educational partnerships within the region – particularly in the polymer industry. The grant runs from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.
Implementation of the grant will be led by Angelo N. Fattore, regional industry relations officer for Penn College, who will assume this newly established role on June 23. A native of Bethlehem and a graduate of local institutions Northampton Community College and Moravian University, Fattore joins Penn College most recently from Moravian, where he serves as the assistant director of graduate, adult admission, and partnership development.
Fattore will lead the workforce, education and employer-relationship development efforts in the Lehigh Valley region in collaboration with various Penn College departments.
The objectives are to:
- Establish workforce development partnerships in the Lehigh Valley, ensuring alignment with regional needs, beginning as a new community member of the region’s iTEC Consortium, a regional apprenticeship program established to provide industrial skills training and talent development to meet the needs of the Lehigh Valley’s growing manufacturing sector.
- Strengthen relationships to explore articulation agreements with community colleges in the region, expanding pathways to four-year-degree options in hands-on technology education.
- Develop and expand mutually beneficial relationships with employers to connect with Penn College students, expanding the recruitment of interns and graduates into the Lehigh Valley.
- Explore, grow and support workforce needs, with a focus on the polymer industry, including apprenticeships and incumbent-worker training opportunities.
- Strengthen the partnership with Allentown School District, including implementation of dual enrollment and pre-apprenticeships, as well as offering career development and postsecondary education awareness activities.
“We are excited to receive this grant and to support the corporate and industry relations work that positions Penn College as a leader in promoting workforce development solutions,” said Michael J. Reed, Penn College President. “With Angelo – who is well-connected in the Lehigh Valley – joining the team and expanding our presence in the region, we look forward to strengthening relationships that will lead to greater career opportunities for our students and the incumbent workforce in the area. We thank Sen. Miller and Rep. Schweyer for their work in supporting this grant opportunity.”
“Penn College has earned recognition as the No. 1 college for innovation and for veterans in the region, a testament to its leadership in workforce-driven education. My collaboration with PCT here in the Lehigh Valley has only deepened my belief that expanding access to their resources not only benefits students and adult learners, but also strengthens our workforce and regional economy,” Sen. Miller said.
“This $50,000 grant is a strategic investment in the future of the Lehigh Valley. It will help build a stronger talent pipeline, create hands-on training opportunities in high-demand fields, and ensure our region is equipped to meet the needs of tomorrow’s industries. I’m proud to support this partnership and look forward to Angelo Fattore’s leadership in connecting education and innovation to move our region forward,” Miller added.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and a special mission affiliate of Penn State, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
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