To celebrate the collaboration between government, industry, and education Allegheny College launched its branch campus ALIC @ Bessemer with an official ribbon cutting-ceremony. The following were in attendance to witness the transformative step in workforce education:
- Governor Josh Shapiro
- Leaders of regional manufacturing companies (Moon Tool & Die Co., Kuhn Tool & Die Co., Pennco Tool & Die, National Tool and Manufacturing Association)
- Allegheny College President Ron Cole
- Allegheny faculty, staff and students
“ALIC at Bessemer will open more doors of opportunity for students, for the Meadville community, and for businesses and industries here in northwestern Pennsylvania,” said Governor Josh Shapiro, quoted by EdTech Chronicle. “There are many paths to success and prosperity in this Commonwealth. We need to respect each of those paths equally – and invest in all of them. We’re showing that respect in my Administration – by ensuring skills and experience are valued in hiring, increasing investment in apprenticeships and vo-tech by more than 50% over the past two years, and enrolling more than 14,000 new apprentices in fields like welding, manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation. Every Pennsylvanian deserves the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed – and I applaud President Cole and Allegheny College for their work to open up more doors of opportunity for Pennsylvanians right here in Meadville.”
Features of the site include:
- A technical training facility
- An incubator and accelerator
- An applied research laboratories
- Shared use
