We live in a highly competitive global market. The future of Pennsylvania’s economic stability relies on the strength of the local workforce. The Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC) oversees workforce development initiatives in the nine county region of Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties, hereafter referred to as the Central Region. The CPWDC views collaboration across all levels of economic development, workforce development and education as integral to sustaining the economic vitality of the Central Region. As we work to develop a cohesive economic strategy, it is paramount that we maximize resources, promote partnership and avoid duplication wherever possible. The Central Pennsylvania Workforce, Community and Youth Services Directory is a community resource that provides instant access to information on over 500 agencies and organizations that provide workforce, community and youth services across the Central Region. The Central Pennsylvania Workforce, Community and Youth Services Directory is a free resource and is accessible at the CPWDC’s website, www.cpwdc.org. Consumers and service providers alike have easy access to this resource from any computer with an Internet connection. The Central Pennsylvania Workforce, Community and Youth Service’s Directory was compiled by the CPWDC’s Youth Council as part of its resource mapping initiative to provide a foundation for identifying assets and possible gaps of the Workforce Development System in the Central Region. The Directory is an attempt to compile a regional listing of community related services that is reflective of the nine counties of the Central Region and as such is not a comprehensive listing. Agencies and organizations not currently listed in the directory can easily enter their information and then retain the ability to update that information as necessary. The CPWDC received a 2003 Team Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board Grant to enhance linkages between community and faith based organizations, the local CareerLink System and the general public. The CPWDC joined forces with Penn State University’s Land Analysis Laboratory, part of the College of Agricultural Science’s Cooperative Extension Geospatial Technology Program, to create a user-friendly, fully searchable, database-driven directory that allows the consumer to link to an informational page about an organization as well as a map of the organization’s physical location.
Amy Franklin is a Research Support Associate for the Pennsylvania State University’s GeoSpatial Technology Program directed by Dr. Rick Day. Along with her various project activities from mapping Pennsylvania farms to using GIS to assess educational facilities, she’s a member of the PSU GIS Committee and mother of two.
Ms. Iwig is the Youth Council Coordinator for the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC). Her position, funded through Penn State University , is a collaborative effort between the University’s Cooperative Extension Program and the CPWDC. The CPWDC is an incorporated Workforce Investment Board comprised of nine counties located in Pennsylvania ’s Central Region, including: Centre, Clinton , Columbia , Lycoming, Northumberland, Mifflin, Montour, Snyder and Union . Ms. Iwig is responsible for providing staff support to the Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council, who’s mission is to advocate, promote policy and offer services that provide the youth of the Central Region meaningful opportunities to access the knowledge and skill-sets necessary to succeed in careers, as employees and productive members of their communities. Ms Iwig is responsible for the management and oversight of all CPWDC at-risk youth programs; development of regional youth focused community partnerships; grant writing; and coordination of all other Youth Council projects. Prior to her current position, Ms. Iwig served as a Senior Youth Market Director for the American Heart Association in Camarillo , California . She holds a Liberal Arts degree with a concentration in Elementary Education, from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA.