Mary Gay Scanlon: “Since coming to Congress, my office has focused on forging closer connections between the jobs that we are developing in…”

“Since coming to Congress, my office has focused on forging closer connections between the jobs that we are developing in our region and the people who live here. I have been proud to support a number of workforce training programs that bridge that gap, particularly for the jobs that are revitalizing the Philadelphia Shipyard, thanks to a contract we helped secure for the building of five national security multi-mission vessels. Another sector of our local economy that is going to benefit immensely from investments in workforce training and public-private partnerships is biotech and life sciences. Last week, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced that the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia is receiving a STEM Talent Challenge Grant, one of only eight such grants awarded in the entire Nation. The Wistar Institute will use this grant to support workforce training to address the demand for skilled workers from the life sciences industry which has been growing by leaps and bounds in our region. For over 20 years, the Wistar Institute has been pioneering workforce training for young people attending high schools and community colleges in our region to enter this exciting field. And I am delighted that this new program is training students from Cheyney University, the oldest HBCU in the country, which is also located in my district.…”