NANTICOKE — Luzerne County Community College’s new Career & Technology Academy dispels the myth that students gifted in skilled trades don’t have a path to college, LCCC President John Yudichak said Wednesday.
LCCC officially launched the LCCC Career & Technology Academy — an unprecedented educational partnership between the college and the region’s three Career and Technical Centers (CTCs) — Hazleton Area Career Center, Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center and West Side Career & Technical Center.
Yudichak said the new academy was made possible through a $1 million Dual Credit Innovation Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and $150,000 in private scholarship support.
“The Academy allows high school students to earn college credits — free of charge — while completing their CTC programs,” Yudichak said. “The initiative aims to transform workforce development in Northeastern Pennsylvania by creating accessible, affordable and high-impact educational pathways for students pursuing skilled trades.”
Yudichak said the Career & Technology Academy will empower more than 2,000 CTC students across Luzerne County to earn post-secondary credentials while still in high school.
“It’s a bold, necessary innovation that will transform our regional economy and individual lives,” Yudichak said.
The Academy’s first class includes 27 students who attended LCCC this spring at no cost, thanks to the generous $100,000 William Rinaldi Career & Technology Academy Scholarship and the $50,000 Joseph Yudichak Career Pathway Scholarship provided through the Luzerne Foundation.
Local entrepreneur William Rinaldi, who Yudichak called “a key donor and visionary partner,” was honored for his contributions.
“Bill recognized the value of LCCC as a workforce development epicenter,” Yudichak said. “His generosity ensures that our students have every opportunity to succeed.”
Rinaldi said, “The best way to help someone is to assist them in finding the right path to success. And I am always willing to help them.”
A regional partnership with statewide implications
Dr. Thomas Duffy, chief administrator of West Side CTC, praised the collaborative model.
“This is a first-of-its-kind partnership,” Duffy said. “By centralizing resources and leveraging the strengths of all three CTCs with LCCC, we’re creating unprecedented opportunities for our students.”
Dr. Anthony Guariglia, administrative director at Wilkes-Barre Area CTC, highlighted the real-world confidence this model provides.
“Students get to transition to college-level courses with their peers and build on skills they’ve already mastered,” Guariglia said. “It gives them the confidence to succeed in college and beyond.”
Dr. Brian Uplinger, Hazleton Area superintendent, pointed out how the program relieves capacity issues at overcrowded CTCs.
“We have limited seats,” Uplinger said. “This program opens up opportunities for more students to participate in CTC training by moving some students to LCCC.”
Dr. Graceann Platukus, LCCC vice president of enrollment management, underscored the rising demand.
“Parents and students are looking for affordable, fast-tracked routes into trades,” Platukus said. “This program answers that call.”
LCCC’s academic affairs vice president, Dr. Russ Bigus, emphasized the broader impact.
“This program gives high schoolers the chance to gain experience, confidence, and even meet future employers while still in high school,” Bigus said.
Jocelyn Sterenchock, CAN DO’s Director of Economic Development, added, “To be 18 years old and graduate with a diploma in one hand and a job offer in the other is exactly what we should be striving for.”
State support for a new model of workforce education
The $1 million state grant will fund tuition, upgrade LCCC’s Advanced Technology Center, and expand lab space for high-demand programs like welding, HVAC, and electrical technology.
“Pennsylvania needs more skilled workers with college credentials,” Yudichak said. “Thanks to Gov. Josh Shapiro, the Department of Education, and our legislators, we’re ready to deliver.
“At LCCC, community is in our name, in our mission, and in our heart. The Career & Technology Academy is a model of what higher education and workforce development should be — accessible, innovative and focused on student success.”
In his welcoming address on Wednesday, Yudichak said LCCC’s Career & Technology Academy will deliver a first-of-its-kind opportunity for students in the region’s career and technical high schools to earn a post-secondary credential or college degree while they are still in high school.
“Empowering local CTC students to earn a post-secondary credential or a college degree will change the financial trajectory of individual lives, and it will transform our regional economy by meeting the growing workforce demands for skilled workers in the high-demand career fields of technology, energy and the construction trades,” Yudichak said.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Education has identified a workforce credential gap of more than 12,500 workers in the skilled trades and called on institutions of higher education to partner with CTC high schools to develop a 21st-century skilled, educated workforce.”
John Naldony, training director for IBEW Local 163, and Bill Feist, president of J&E Sheetmetal, spoke in support of the new program
“With the insight of business leaders like Bill Feist and leaders in organized labor, like John Naldony, it is clear to me that the creation of LCCC Career & Technology is a necessary and essential innovation in higher education. Pennsylvania needs more skilled trade workers,” Yudichak said.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
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