For 20 years, the Lancaster County Career & Technology Foundation (LCCTF) has been supporting students as they prepare to enter the workforce. The organization marked its anniversary earlier this month, celebrating the purchase of an automatic truck for the CDL program at the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center (LCCTC) in Mount Joy.

The LCCTF formed in 2003 with a mission to ensure the LCCTC has the materials, equipment and funding to provide optimal career training for high school and adult students. Over the past two decades, the organization has raised $7 million to support students, including $34,000 annually awarded in scholarships for LCCTC students attending postsecondary schools; $20,000 annually awarded in Workforce Grants for people directly entering the workforce following the LCCTC; and $10,000 annually in financial assistance to current LCCTC students.

"The foundation supports all four LCCTC campuses, including its Brownstown, Health Sciences - located in Willow Street, Mount Joy and Willow Street locations," said Jennifer Baker, executive director of the LCCTF. Money is raised through multiple channels, including participation in the state's Educational Improvement Tax Credit program and the ExtraGive.

"We also hold our annual fly fishing tournament, Fly on the Run," Baker stated. "2024 will be the 18th year for the event to be held May 8 and 9. In 2023, we raised a record $130,000 to support the LCCTC." Individual donors also support the LCCTF, and the organization just launched an alumni network this past spring, encouraging previous students to stay connected and give back to the LCCTC.

The purchase of the automatic truck will aid students in a four-week CDL program, part of the LCCTF's Workforce Talent program. The initiative is designed to recruit, educate and place adults into high-demand, skilled positions, Baker said.

"The Workforce Talent program provides opportunity to those that are unemployed or underemployed. Adults who match that criteria have the ability to apply for tuition assistance for up to 80% of the cost of tuition," she explained. "We also provide tuition assistance for adults who enroll in the LCCTC's 10-week Basic Welding program." Since 2017, the LCCTF has raised $1.1 million to provide tuition assistance to 111 welding students and 92 CDL students.

Everything the LCCTF does supports students in their quest to gain career and technical skills in a variety of industries, Baker said, noting that donations to the organization bolster this mission.

"Give today to build tomorrow's workforce," she said. "Donations will directly help to enrich LCCTC programs by providing new equipment, current technology and up-to-date curriculum content; support students' futures by giving them the opportunity to train on industry-standard equipment and technology; and build a thriving Lancaster County workforce by increasing the pipeline of skilled workers."

For more information about the LCCTF, visit https://lcctf.org.