Welcome to the Central PA Youth Council Web Page

The Central Region workforce is aging.  It is estimated that as the baby boomers in Central Pennsylvania retire, there will not be enough young workers (the “emerging workforce”) with the necessary skill sets to replace them. We invite you to look around our site to see how the CPWDC Youth Council is working to ensure that this does not happen.

Our Mission

The mission of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC) Youth Council is to advocate, promote policy and offer services that provide our youth with meaningful opportunities to access the knowledge and skill sets necessary to succeed in careers, as employees and productive members of our communities.

Our Committee

The CPWDC Youth Council is a committee of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board which serves Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Snyder and Union Counties.  The Youth Council is one committee through which the CPWDC establishes and implements an emerging workforce pipeline strategy. 

The Youth Council provides a forum for stakeholders to collaborate on establishing a pipeline of a future workforce into the Region’s key industries.  All stakeholders are interested in promoting the academic and career readiness of youth located in the Central Region.  The committee is comprised of representatives from business, K-12 and postsecondary education, PA CareerLink, county government, youth serving organizations, community services agencies, and juvenile justice.  Please join us for a meeting anytime.  Contact Kate Lomax, CPWDC Youth Council Coordinator at 570.522.0600. 

Meeting Dates and Topics

Meeting Notes

Meeting Materials

Youth Council Members List

Youth Council Network Chart

Our Work

To carry out its mission, the CPWDC and Youth Council are currently involved in a variety of projects.  Please click on the project title to learn more.

The Gold Medal Initiative

Join education and business in Central Pennsylvania in championing the Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.

Regional Career Education Partnership (RCEP)

From English teachers in Mifflin County to students in the Central Columbia school district, connections are being made every day through RCEP-sponsored projects.

Pennsylvania Youth in Transition (PAYT)

In 2000, there were over 11,000 residents under the age of 25 in the Central Region who lack a high school diploma.  The PAYT project is a region-wide effort to re-connect these youth to education and successful careers.

Workforce Investment (WIA) Youth Programs: Bridges to the Future

The WIA Youth Program is creating “Bridges to the Future” for youth in the Central Region. 

Industry Partnerships

In addition to the funded initiatives and programs listed above, the CPWDC is also developing or supporting the development of industry partnerships to encourage collaboration among like companies in the Central Region.  Currently, the CPWDC has applied for continued funding on behalf of seven (7) industry partnerships representing:

• Building and Construction

• Factory Built Housing
• Food Processing
• Health Care
• Lumber and Wood
• Plastics
• IT Occupations

One of the partnership goals is committed to developing a common regional pipeline strategy that will allow each partnership to engage youth in the workforce system in an integrated, regional, and systematic way.