Manufacturing Industry in Pennsylvania

Industry Overview

In Pennsylvania, manufacturing is in our blood. Our smoke and steel helped build well-known American landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Empire State Building, and the Hoover Dam. Today, our industry strength is increasingly focused on advanced additive, high-tech, and digital strategies to meet the demands of modern businesses and consumers.

From companies focused on medical devices and organic foods to nanomaterials and fabricated metal products, Pennsylvania has successfully applied its workforce’s skilled approach, established infrastructure, and in-state resources to modern manufacturing.

Manufacturing Workforce

A world-class workforce begins with a world-class education, and in Pennsylvania, we have both. In a rapidly-evolving industry such as advanced manufacturing, we make sure our workforce has access to programs that enable them to update and expand their skills to stay on top of new demands in the field. Top-notch, customizable workforce training ensures our graduates are prepared for multiple disciplines and can grow with the industry.

Collaborative partnerships between schools, industry, and technical assistance providers are building a consistent pipeline of workers prepared to apply new skillsets, like STEM, to be competitive in today’s manufacturing landscape. Our skilled workforce today is eager to learn and highly adaptable, and able to grow with an industry that continues to pivot towards developing tech and STEM applications. Learn more about our accessible workforce training programs.

Companies in PA

Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry currently comprises more than 14,400 establishments and over 560,000 employees that represent both traditional and additive manufacturing. Many national and international companies have a significant presence here, and help continue the state’s manufacturing heritage.

Major Advanced Manufacturing Employers

• The Boeing Company

• General Electric Company

• Advance Stores Company Inc.

• Carpenter Technology Corporation

• Autozoners LLC

• Northtec LLC

Workforce Training Resources

• Manufacturing PA Initiative

  Manufacturing PA is a three-pronged initiative which includes DCED’s strategic partners, Pennsylvania’s educational instructions, and nonprofit organizations to enhance the growth and competitiveness of PA manufacturing companies by fostering strategic partnerships and training-to-career pathways.

• WEDnet

  Eligible in-state businesses and out-of-state companies relocating to PA can apply to WEDNetPA to access training funds, which can be used for a wide range of training, from welding and quality assurance to software engineering, advanced manufacturing technology, and more.

• Powdered Metals Program

  The Powdered Metals Program provides training programs for the existing workforce supported through Penn State and the regional community education councils. The program makes use of the facilities in the schools within the north central Pennsylvania region, such as the metalworking facility at St. Marys High School and the laboratory at the Penn State DuBois campus.

• NextManufacturing Center

  The NextManufacturing Center at Carnegie Mellon University is one of the world’s leading research centers for additive manufacturing (AM). The Center offers workforce training in collaboration with the Robert C. Byrd Institute and Catalyst Connection, a local nonprofit economic development center, in order to capitalize on the concentration of national metals producers, powder suppliers, manufacturers and software developers located in the Southwestern PA region. The Center also offers Additive Manufacturing for Engineers, the only course in the U.S. offering direct exposure of undergraduates to E-beam and laser powder bed AM.

• National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII)

  The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) is a public-private partnership composed of member organizations from industry, government, academia, workforce and economic development resources, and non-government agencies that is working together to increase the country’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Four Pennsylvania universities are members: Carnegie Mellon University, Lehigh University, University of Pittsburgh, and Pennsylvania State University.

Funding Opportunities

Pennsylvania has an unprecedented opportunity to drive a real manufacturing renaissance — and to capture the broader benefits to our economy and communities that go with it. To learn more about the manufacturing programs offered by the PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), please visit the DCED Website.