Penn College

Innovative collaboration allows more convenient PLC instruction

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Sixteen people are enrolled in a 96-hour Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) program offered through a partnership between Penn College Workforce Development & Continuing Education and Workforce Solutions.

The class comprises individuals seeking employment and incumbent workers looking for further skill development.

PLC is an industrial computer adapted for control of manufacturing processes, including assembly line or robotic devices. The technology requires an in-demand skill set, and instruction was recommended by employers in northcentral Pennsylvania.

The program is being delivered through simultaneous use of the Iris platform at two locations: one at the Workforce Solutions offices in Kersey and one at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Iris provides fully interactive, instructor-led training originating from Penn College classrooms and labs. This learning model allows participants to convene at a site close to home.

“We are so excited to be able to bring this program to our region in response to our employers’ skill needs. In a rural region like ours, we need to be creative, at times, in our delivery models for training,” said Susie Snelick, executive director of Workforce Solutions. “We were able to take advantage of technology and partner with Penn College to offer this program, and hope to be able to offer more training like this in response to our employers’ needs.”

Successful completion of the 96-hour program will allow participants to sit for the PMMI Level 1 certification, a nationally recognized credential available through the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

For more information about Workforce Solutions – the Workforce Development Board responsible for the workforce system in Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties – visit www.workforcesolutionspa.com or call 814-245-1835.

For more information about workforce development at Penn College, call 570-327-4775 or visit www.pct.edu/wdce.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.

Last Updated March 29, 2018