Pennsylvania State Senator Art Haywood (D-4th District) led a panel of guest speakers at a Manufacturing Day Roundtable in Grey Towers Castle on Oct. 4. Joining Sen. Haywood were Jerry Oleksiak, deputy secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry; Eileen Cipriani, deputy secretary of Pennsylvania’s Labor and Industry for Workforce Development; and Carol Kilko, deputy secretary for Business Financing for Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development.

The panelists discussed Governor Tom Wolf’s PASmart Initiative — a new workforce development initiative that helps connect Pennsylvanians with resources for working and training in the state — as well as the local manufacturing industry and STEM education and apprenticeship programs. During a Q&A session, attendees ranging high school faculty to STEM employers addressed challenges in filling jobs and suggested increasing internship opportunities and strengthening collaboration between school programs and manufacturers.