Pennsylvania grant hopes to inspire Philly kids to get into manufacturing

Gov. Wolf announced that the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC) was approved with $110,000. The money will go towards Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career funding. 

This funding will double the number of teams in Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties participating in the ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ (WSCM) competition, according to a press release. This funding will allow 28 to 40 participating teams. 

“More and more students have a growing interest in manufacturing employment because of innovative and interactive programs like ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?’ ” Gov. Wolf said in a release.

Wolf added, “We are proud to support the creative efforts being made by Pennsylvania teachers, students, and manufacturing companies as they collaborate to illustrate the opportunities available in this industry.”

The WSCM matches student filmmakers to highlight manufacturing business in the community. They create content around the manufacturers to highlight their products, interview staff, and showcase what it’s like to work for that employer. 

WSCM was created to help better share the images of manufacturing. They want to show that manufacturing could be a good-paying and provide stable jobs for future generations.

This contest also helps create awareness of manufacturing. It also helps inspire student and parent’s interest in the STEM and technical education field. It shows just how much the manufacturing community has to offer to students. 

The funding will also help support additional outreach to companies and schools in the Philly area with professional consultations, professional services, training, supplies, equipment, and more.

“The commonwealth’s support for ‘What’s So Cool About Manufacturing’ allows us to manage and promote the program for another year to demonstrate to the future workforce the importance of manufacturing in the region,” DVIRC Executive Vice President Tony Girifalco said in a release.

He continued and added, “… companies love it, students love it, and parents and teachers love it, so anything we can do to build more interest.”