Montgomery County Community College’s Workforce Development Division wants to help businesses by connecting them to valuable resources to strengthen their workforce and improve their competitive advantage.

To share this information, MCCC is inviting businesses to attend its annual Workforce Development Business Roundtable on Jun. 12, from 10 AM-12:10 PM. The event will be held in College Hall 144/148 on the Blue Bell Campus, and attendees may also attend virtually.

This year’s keynote speaker is Gwen Ross, Director of Workforce Initiatives for the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), who will be discussing Governor Josh Shapiro’s 10-year economic development strategy.

DCED is the state’s lead agency on economic development, working to support current and future business and industry needs. In her role, Ross works on a wide range of activities, policies, and programs to help create, sustain, and retain a talented workforce in Pennsylvania. She also serves as the Grant Manager for the DCED’s Foundation in Industry Training (FIT) Grant Program, the Manufacturing-Training to Career Grant Program, and oversees the policy and management of the Workforce and Economic Development Network of PA (WEDnetPA).

MCCC’s Director of Workforce Development Bernadette DeBias and Administrative Director for Academic Initiatives Katina Faulk will start the event by discussing the advantages and significant changes of WEDnetPA, including major deadlines, and a new platform for ISSAC, the information technology system that supports WEDnetPA.

Due to the upcoming changes, all former WEDnet applicants and future WEDnet applicants are encouraged to attend. WEDnetPA is an alliance of educational providers across Pennsylvania, and MCCC is the Montgomery County partner for this network. Through WEDnetPA, companies can receive state training grants to train their employees. DeBias will discuss eligibility for the program, application timelines, ranking criteria, funding availability, and best practices for the new funding round that begins Aug. 15 and continues through Jun. 30, 2025. The Business Roundtable also includes speakers from Montgomery County’s Commerce Department and the Workforce Development Board. Representatives will discuss programs that can help existing businesses retain and grow their businesses in Montgomery County.

MCCC’S Workforce & Economic Development trainer, Manny Veloso, will conduct a mini-training session on continuous improvement as an introduction to MCCC’s series. The series will provide training in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma Yellow Belt, and Six Sigma Green Belt. Veloso, who has a Master of Business Administration from Rider University, is an industrial engineer and an ASQ™ Certified Master Black Belt. He has helped companies all around the globe understand Lean Six Sigma and implemented related projects. The training will be offered free to in-person participants.   

MCCC’s Workforce Development Division can customize training for area companies and deliver the training onsite or virtually. Interested parties can contact DeBias at bdebias@mc3.edu. MCCC also assists companies in developing their training plans and submitting them to WEDnetPA.

Learn more at MCCC. For 60 years, Montgomery County Community College has been transforming lives and communities to meet the evolving educational needs of Montgomery County.