Northampton Community College is only too happy to oblige. Michele Pappalardo is director of Business Training Resources for NCC, responsible for making the connection between area employers and the state's training resources, including funding.

"We offer a continuum of employee training services at all levels," says Michele. "Hundreds of courses are available and address everything from foundation skills training to information technology courses and regulatory and compliance studies. WEDnetPa stands for the Workforce and Economic Development Network of Pennsylvania. The program requires that both employers and employees meet certain requirements in order for companies to receive such free training benefits."

In addition to the WEDnetPa funding for training programs, NCC works with area companies to attract other federal and state funding, such as customized job training (CJT) grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development and English as a Second Language learning through PAWIN.

In order to find out more, please contact Michele at 610-861-4588 or mpappalardo@northampton.edu . You can also view program descriptions and qualifications at www.wednetpa.com .

"A growing economy requires training as an ongoing need for employers to stay competitive," says Michele. "We are seeing some great successes with these free training opportunities."