The Truist Foundation awarded Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (TSCT) a $150,000 grant to support its technical education training programs for low-income adults. These programs prepare people for entry-level technical jobs and are offered through the college's Workforce Education and Development Center (WEDC), at Tec Centro, the bilingual education center run by SACA on Chester Street in Lancaster.

The TSCT Short Term Skill Up Fast Workforce Development Program focuses on serving unemployed or under-employed people, immigrants and refugees as well as single parents - with priority for single mothers - with the intent to help them build career pathways to economic mobility re-skilling/upskilling by offering direct, short-term educational services and preparation for entry-level jobs in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, industrial maintenance, and welding and computer software information systems.

A majority of the $150,000 will provide partial- or full-tuition scholarships for low- to moderate-income students and necessary supports to ensure their success and completion of the programs. These supports include services to lift barriers to students' receiving an education, including child care, transportation, emergency services, and career navigation services.

SACA will provide matching funds to double the investment and the number of scholarships available to students.

Short-term training programs in high-demand fields allow these adults to get full-time jobs, leave public assistance, build wealth, and improve the economies of their communities. In addition to providing technical training so people can obtain family-sustaining jobs, the partnership between TSCT and the Truist Foundation seeks to provide talented employees to support industry needs for mid-high to high-skill workers and to leverage financial support through other funding sources, in this case SACA, as part of building collaborative community partnerships to strengthen workforce, education, and economic stability.