(File Photo of State Representative Rob Matzie)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Ambridge, PA) State Representative Rob Matzie announced yesterday that new funding of $650,000 to the Southwest Corner Workforce Development Board will strengthen training and apprenticeship opportunities for Beaver County workers in the steel and construction industries. Matzie confirmed that the new opportunities for training will help workers maintain skills that are cutting-edge amidst changing industry demands. The funding was awarded through the state Department of Labor and Industry’s Industrial Partnership grant program. According to a release from Matzie’s office in Ambridge, the funding includes:

• $350,000 to support the Southwest Corner Building and Construction Industry Partnership’s efforts to upskill workers through registered apprenticeship programs and recruit workers from communities that are underrepresented in the construction trades. The grant will serve workers in Beaver County and several other counties. 

• $300,000 to support the Pennsylvania Steel Alliance Industry Partnership’s efforts to upskill and reskill the existing steel workforce, expand access to innovative training models, strengthen the talent pipeline through youth and career pathway development, and support industry adaptation to emerging economic opportunities. The grant will serve workers in Beaver, Allegheny and a number of other western Pennsylvania counties.