Mission | Goals | About Us

Mission

The mission of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development is to advance the economic well-being of Pennsylvania by serving as a catalyst, facilitator, and collaborator for using the resources, expertise, and intellectual assets of Penn State to help create and retain jobs and enhance the skills of the workforce in the Commonwealth.

Contact:
Timothy Franklin, Director
Office of Economic and Workforce Development
The Pennsylvania State University
The 329 Building, Suite 416
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-2561
E-mail: tvf2@psu.edu

Goals

The goals of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development are to:

• support Pennsylvania employers and workforce through matching their needs with Penn State resources and engaging other external partners.
• identify and facilitate opportunities for partnerships between University units statewide and other economic and workforce development organizations.
• identify and capitalize on funding opportunities where Penn State can add value.
• disseminate economic and workforce development information.
• develop relationships with:
  · key state and federal government agency officials
  · other economic and workforce development organizations
  · other post secondary institutions
  · organizations representing key industry clusters
  · Penn State's Office of Government Affairs
• become aware of University activities and impact related to economic and workforce development.
• articulate and promote the University's role and contribution to economic and workforce development in Pennsylvania.

About Us

The Office of Economic and Workforce Development includes five units:

• The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) is a federal-state-University partnership for economic development. Helping Pennsylvania firms statewide since 1965, PennTAP is one of the nation's first technical assistance programs and remains a credible and valuable resource for helping Pennsylvania companies compete and grow. The service of PennTAP staff is confidential and provided at no cost to Pennsylvania firms. For additional information, visit www.penntap.psu.edu.
  
  Contact:
  Wayne Figurelle, Director
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 416
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-865-0427
  E-mail: wfigure@psu.edu

• The Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is part of a nationwide network of nearly 1,000 centers. It provides free business assistance to small firms and business start-ups in Centre and Mifflin counties, enabling them to compete and grow in today's highly competitive global economy. The Penn State SBDC offers specialized training programs, seminars, and conferences designed to educate entrepreneurs on business topics ranging from basic business start-up skills to advanced management techniques. The SBDC at Penn State also has environmental consultants that represent the SBDC Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP). The environmental consultants provide free and confidential environmental compliance, OSHA compliance, and energy efficiency assistance. For additional information, visit www.sbdc.psu.edu.
  
  Contact:
  Heather Fennessey, Director
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 417
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-863-4293
  E-mail: hxm103@psu.edu

• Workforce Development Initiatives provides a focal point to coordinate major statewide initiatives in workforce development, facilitates regional workforce development partnerships with Penn State campuses and other external partners, identifies funding opportunities, and helps develop proposals to support workforce development initiatives.
  
  Contact:
  Frank Sorg, Interim Lead
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 416
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-865-6696
  E-mail: fxs15@psu.edu

• Healthcare Workforce Development Initiatives improve health care in Pennsylvania through strategic workforce development. These efforts include enhancing health care management and supervision, establishing high-quality management processes, developing a culture of retention, and establishing workforce certificate programs for workers in the health care system.
  
  Contact:
  Janetta DeOnna, Ph.D., Project Director
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 416
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-863-6717
  E-mail: jxg141@psu.edu

• The Workforce Assessment Center conducts workforce-related assessments and educational events; develops tools and services; identifies funding, University resources, and external partners for workforce development projects; prepares proposals for and manages assessment projects; and establishes and maintains communication with clients, partners, and University personnel. Analysis of Pennsylvania's economic and workforce opportunities and issues are conducted by the Workforce Assessment Center in collaboration with the Institute for Research in Training and Development (IRTD), a unit in Penn State's College of Education.
  
  Contact:
  Rose M. Baker, Ph.D., Project Manager
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 416
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-865-9919
  E-mail: rmb194@psu.edu
  
  Contact:
  David L. Passmore, Ph.D., Director
  Institute for Research in Training and Development
  The Pennsylvania State University
  The 329 Building, Suite 416
  University Park PA 16802
  Phone: 814-863-2583
  E-mail: dlp@psu.edu