The Bradford Area Alliance hosted an informational session on Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania (WEDnetPA), one of Pennsylvania’s most impactful workforce training grant programs, at the Bradford Club on Thursday.

Officials said the session was designed to introduce and raise awareness of WEDnetPA to local business owners who may qualify for the program, as well as provide updates on program requirements for businesses that have utilized WEDnetPA previously.

Deb Delhunty, Business Development coordinator with North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, provided an in-depth overview of the WEDnetPA grant funding program, including recent changes to program guidelines and new requirements issued by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

The event also featured Tom Weible, strategic business advisor with the Northwest PA Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC). Weible highlighted how NWIRC’s services align with WEDnetPA funding and discussed training resources available to businesses through the NWIRC.

“This session was an important step in increasing both awareness and utilization of training resources readily available to our area businesses. WEDnetPA is a great program as qualifying companies can utilize up to $2000 per employee per year for training” said Carolyn Boser Newhouse, BAA executive director.

WEDnetPA funding supports training initiatives for companies across a variety of industries, including construction, healthcare, business services and manufacturing. The session equipped attendees with tools to better understand and utilize WEDnetPA funding opportunities to enhance workforce skills and drive business growth. To learn more about WEDnetPA, visit dced.pa.gov/programs/wednetpa.

BAA strives to create a thriving ecosystem that benefits both new, emerging and existing entrepreneurs and businesses.