b'PARTNERSHIPSDigital FoundryA boon for the county and regional manufacturing industry, the 15,000-SF Digital Foundry at New Kensington celebrated its grand opening last year. A tremendous resource for upskilling those in the industry as well as preparing newcomers to step into todays digital manufacturing environment, the Foundry also offers hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies to the more-than-5,000 manufacturing businesses within a 40-mile radius of it. Far from an ivory tower research institution, the Digital Foundry is focused on using todays technologies to solve todays problems. A collaborative effort between Penn State New Kensington and Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, the Foundry is funded by a $5.5 million grant by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and is advised by the WCIDC. Employers and individuals can learn more about its programs at www.digitalfoundrynk.com.Forum on Workforce DevelopmentIn October, the county commissioners allocated $949,000 to the Westmoreland County Workforce Development Plan, an innovative program that will provide to students a realistic view of local job opportunities, templates for career paths and assistance in finding internships with local companies. The Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Developmentan initiative of Economic Growth Connection of Westmorelandhas been working on this proposal for approximately two years. The plan supports four primary initiatives:Establishing a framework that will help Westmoreland students of all grade levels explore customizable pathways to a variety of careersUtilizing the existing infrastructure to build out a robust internship programLeadership training for school district administrators focusing on workforce developmentPartnership meetings with local government officials, as well as creating better linkages between CTCs and post-secondary institutionsPennSTARTIn August, PennDOT, the PA Turnpike Commission and the Regional Industrial Development Corporation announced plans to build a $20 million, state-of-the-art test track and research facility at RIDC Westmoreland Innovation Center. The Pennsylvania Safety, Transportation and Research Trackdubbed PennSTARTwill benefit emergency responders, transportation technology companies and research institutions while supporting the local economy. In addition to supporting the testing and development of automated vehicles, PennSTART will address safety, training, and research needs in key areas that range from traffic-incident management to commercial and transit vehicles to other emerging technologies.10'