A Q&A with Loni Kline

What are the crucial issues that need to be addressed for Pennsylvania to spur economic development in the short- and long-term?

Developing and adapting the workforce to meet Pennsylvania’s already burgeoning needs is the top short-term priority. 

Sustaining that workforce with stackable skills, matched by nimbleness to meet evolving opportunities, will be a long-term requirement for success.

In both cases, the Commonwealth must make a broad-based and lasting commitment to education at all levels, whether promoting K-12 vocational training and STEM education, or helping to offset the costs for delivery of postsecondary applied technology programs. This is an expensive endeavor, and at Pennsylvania College of Technology, we largely remain reliant upon industry for facilities and equipment, consumables and scholarship support.

What are some of the ways you/your organization are working to make that happen?

Pennsylvania College of Technology is an engine of economic development that’s been ‘getting it done’ since 1914. Our offerings – whether degree-seeking academic offerings or incumbent workforce trainings and apprenticeships – directly align with the very same five key industry sectors spotlighted in the Governor’s ‘Ten-Year Strategic Plan for Economic Development’ in Pennsylvania: Agriculture, Energy, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, and Robotics & Technology. Our curriculum is informed by, and supported by, our 3,000-plus Pennsylvania industry partners.

But the same employers tell us they are seeking durable skills, too – communication, critical thinking and problem-solving. So, our uncommon model goes beyond simply training a workforce in industry-standard labs to support retention, growth and innovation in their businesses. We are providing access to education for future workforce leaders – including those from underserved and rural populations – and giving them skills to be successful in their fields… and impactful in their communities.

How can economic development improve the quality of life for Pennsylvanians?

Success in economic development drives opportunities for entrepreneurial endeavors and large-scale innovation and lifts up our communities, creating the conditions for families to thrive. It builds upon itself, heightening access to the hallmarks of a flourishing quality of life, such as quality education, health care and housing, and creates a brighter future for generations to come.

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