Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions Salutes Unanimous Passage of Industry Partnerships Legislation by State House

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique statewide collaborative of philanthropic organizations today saluted the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for unanimously passing House Bill 2230, which provides the first legislative backing for the state's nationally recognized investment in Industry Partnerships.

The philanthropic collaborative—the Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions (PFWS)—called on the Pennsylvania Senate to take up and quickly pass the proposal, which would maintain and strengthen a successful initiative that benefits businesses and expands opportunities for workers.

"We have a proven program that helps people receive training for jobs that actually exist and can sustain a family," said Representative Marc Gergely, the prime sponsor of HB 2230.  "More than 70,000 Pennsylvania workers have received the skills they need to compete in the job market."

"Giving businesses the opportunity to help develop training programs is critical to achieving a workforce whose skills match industry needs," said Representative Gene DiGirolamo, Republican Chairman of the House Labor Relations Committee.

Industry Partnerships bring together multiple employers and workers in an industry to identify and address common workforce needs.  More than 6,000 businesses currently participate in Industry Partnerships in Pennsylvania.  

Pennsylvania's reform of workforce training programs is founded on building workforce partnerships so that state investments in skills connect to the needs of critical industries. Workers benefit because they get vital knowledge about the skills needed to land a job or advance and because Industry Partnerships help companies learn from the effective management practices of their peers.

The House bill now goes to the Senate for further action.

Foundations and United Ways across Pennsylvania came together to form the PFWS because they recognized the state's investment in Industry Partnerships as a powerful new way to build more pathways out of poverty and to strengthen Pennsylvania industries.

The PFWS (www.pfws.org) is part of a network of 22 foundation collaborations across the country, each of which supports workforce partnership initiatives. The PFWS is unique because it is the only one of the 22 funders' collaborations that extends beyond a metropolitan region, a reflection of the statewide scale of Pennsylvania's workforce reform and the opportunity the state has to institutionalize a national model.

For more information about Industry Partnerships and HB 2230, go to www.workforcepa.com. The Keystone Research Center (www.keystoneresearch.org) serves as the staff of the PFWS.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions