Pennsylvania College of Technology Revenue and Competitors

Pennsylvania College of Technology became an affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University in 1989, after establishing a national reputation for education supporting workforce development, first as a technical institute and later as a community college. Today, Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State, committed to applied technology education. Conveniently located in Williamsport (Central Pennsylvania), Penn College attracts the second-highest enrollment in the Penn State system; over 6,400 students are enrolled in associate- and bachelor-degree programs relating to more than 100 different career areas. In addition, Penn College manages the state's largest worker training program through its Workforce Development and Continuing Education unit. The modern Penn College campus offers students hands-on instruction and access to the latest equipment, leading to excellent graduate placement and "degrees that work".While 1941 was the year the Williamsport Technical Institute was formally established, programming actually had been in place since 1914, when a small high school industrial shop became home to adult education and training programs. Many of the first students to enroll were disabled veterans from World War I who needed immediate retraining. In the 1920's, the focus shifted from industrial arts to vocational training. That shift helped combat the effects of the Depression in the 1930's. Cooperation between the school and local industry led to the development of a plan for attacking rising unemployment through retraining. "The Williamsport Plan" was copied throughout the United States and encompassed cooperative training of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Youth Administration. World War II led to even more change in the 1940's. Training to meet defense industry needs was crucial; so the institute operated on a 24-hour-a-day schedule. Part of that training involved programs for individuals with handicaps, who were a big part of the war effort. Even before the "G.I. Bill" was passed in 1944, training also was being offered for returning World War II vets. The war production training and special training for disabled veterans led to the institute becoming one of the nation's largest providers of training and retraining for people with physical handicaps.