Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf visited Manor College recently to participate in a roundtable discussion about the college’s career readiness and digital literacy program.

The Wolf Administration awarded the institution a $45,000 grant to provide greater access to employment opportunities in the 21st Century job market.

“Students can go out and get a job at a convenience store for $18 an hour, but there’s not much of a career with that,” Gov. Wolf said. “We’re interested in the full career and how students get past the first step.”

Gov. Wolf was joined by Labor & Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier, Manor College President Dr. Jonathan Peri, and other local elected officials.

He took a tour of Manor College’s Basileiad Library during a career fair on Wednesday afternoon before participating in the roundtable discussion.

“We must ensure that job seekers at all levels have the necessary skills needed to effectively navigate digital platforms used in the workplace,” Secretary Berrier said. “The success of Pennsylvania’s workforce is dependent on digital competency — an effort made possible by the Digital Literacy and Workforce Development Grants and the work being done at Manor College to help students find competitive employment with family-sustaining wages.”

Since its beginning, Manor College’s digital literacy program has served 85 students during the 2021–2022 academic year. More than 75 percent of these students took advantage of in-class career readiness instruction.

Others had the opportunity to engage in one-on-one resume reviews with faculty and Manor College Career Center counselors.

“We want to teach students life skills in communication,” JP Lutz, Dual Enrollment Coordinator at Manor College, said. “Students are applying for jobs online and they don’t know the rules of the game, like using keywords in your résumé. This is what we’re trying to teach them.”

Christine Schoettle, Program Director of Business Technology, added, “We want to get students more involved in the career searching process earlier. We teach them everything from how to write a résumé, a cover letter, and apply for a job in our earliest classes.”

Sam McFarlane, a rising sophomore in Manor College’s dental hygiene program, spoke at the discussion about his own experience at the institution.

“When I came to Manor, I realized the teachers and staff love their job,” McFarlane said. “I came here for an education and they’re here to see me.”

Even though he’s early into his college career, he’s already began looking into his future in the workplace. He’s gaining experience shadowing a dental hygienist. During his sophomore year, he’ll work with real patients at Manor College’s Dental Health Center.

“I already started working on the next chapter of my life,” said McFarlane. “I know that experience is going to pay off. Manor has already prepared me to take that next step.

Read more about Manor College.