Drexel University Receives Funding from Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant for Job Training for Pennsylvanians with Disabilities

Project partners from Transition Pathways at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Community Integrated Services, the School District of Philadelphia, the Community College of Philadelphia, and Goodwin College of Professional Studies gather to discuss grant initiatives. 

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) recently announced a new $200,000 investment by the Shapiro Administration in the Community Integrated Services (CIS) Manufacturing Accelerator Program to provide Pennsylvanians with disabilities the skills they need to secure jobs with local manufacturers. The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career (MTTC) grant will help people with disabilities access manufacturing training programs at Drexel University and the Community College of Philadelphia. Upon completion, participants will receive assistance in applying to jobs with local manufacturers, and once hired, will receive support as needed.

Community Integrated Services will partner with Drexel University’s Transition Pathways at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP), and the School District of Philadelphia to enhance the accessibility of training programs, enroll participants and support job seekers in attaining employment.

“The Shapiro Administration is proud to support the Community Integrated Services program as they expand our manufacturing workforce and create real opportunity for our residents with disabilities who are looking for good jobs,” said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger. “The Manufacturing Accelerator Program will benefit both the industry and the community by creating a more inclusive and productive workforce that can meet the current and future needs of the region.”

Transitions Pathways will lead the partnership to adapt two short-term manufacturing training to career programs tailored to job seekers with disabilities. Drexel will assist in enrollment of project participants in those programs and assist those job seekers in attaining employment with Transition Pathways employer partners and other local manufacturers.

In one of the programs, participants will enroll in the Community College of Philadelphia’s 14-week Computer Numerical Control (CNC) training program, using the Uniquely Abled Model, an intensive career preparation program for individuals with disabilities that provides them with the skills and training to succeed in a career as a CNC machine operator.

In the other program, the Autism Institute’s Transition Pathways program will work with partners at the Goodwin College of Professional Studies to develop a customized version of Goodwin’s Manufacturing Career Accelerator Program (MCAP) geared toward jobseekers with disabilities. Goodwin’s current MCAP program is a 6-week bootcamp designed to help participants become their professional best while learning about the manufacturing industry and preparing to begin a rewarding career in a dynamic industry.

Select program participants will be recruited from Project Career Launch, a school-to-work program with sites at Drexel and the Community College of Philadelphia. These programs are overseen by Transition Pathways, CIS and the School District of Philadelphia. Transition Pathways will support the transition of program participants to employment, with a goal of full-time jobs with sustaining wages, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

"This new grant will create unprecedented opportunities for autistic youth and others with disabilities,” said Dianne Malley, director of Community Impact, Transition Pathways at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. “For too long, people with disabilities have lacked access to the resources they need to succeed in the workforce. This project, made possible with the collaboration of our dedicated partners, will provide support, training, and certifications to help these individuals connect to good jobs in manufacturing, a thriving sector in our region. This is a game changer for all the young people involved and their families."

For more information about the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career program or DCED, visit the DCED website. To learn more about Transition Pathways visit: https://drexel.edu/autisminstitute/community-projects/Transition-Pathways/.