Tower Magazine - Summer/Fall 2024 - 24

/// ON CAMPUS
SKILLED AT
DEVELOPING OTHERS
Continuous improvement is a
guiding mantra for Valerie Hatfield.
Throughout her 17-year career in
manufacturing, she always sought
out formal and informal professional
development opportunities.
That constant quest for
knowledge-and a desire to
empower others-ultimately led
Valerie to the Lancaster County
Workforce Development Board,
where she worked as a Pennsylvania
CareerLink site administrator and
Assistant Director. There, she
built relationships across sectors:
colleges and universities, industry,
and state and federal agencies.
" Workforce and education
don't always speak the same
language, and I enjoyed being
that intermediary, " she explains.
Valerie brings all of those skills and
experience to Thaddeus Stevens
College of Technology, where she's
now Director of the Workforce and
Economic Development Center. At
the College since January 2024,
she leads the short-term training
programs designed around the
most in-demand skills in the region.
A workforce development
professional for nearly a decade,
Valerie is acutely aware of the
aging workforce and the large
skills gap that's coming. But it's
in her nature to reframe things:
" I tend to look at it as an
opportunities gap, " she explains. In
her role, she's helping local residents
of all ages and backgrounds
pursue those opportunities.
" This training is
about equity and
access. No one else
is offering these
career pathways
to the trades. "
Valerie adds that Workforce Center
programs, most of which are housed
at Tec Centro, are ideal for people
new to the country, justice-impacted
individuals, or disconnected youth
who might be bouncing from lowpaying
job to low-paying job. Shortterm
training is not just for new
workforce entrants, though. Valerie
stresses these programs can be just
as fitting for incumbent workers.
She envisions more local companies
investing in their current employees
via these short-term programs.
" Employers are the ones facing
the heat of massive retirements, "
she explains. " I want to normalize
people expanding their skills, to
create more on and off ramps. "
By creating those connections and
opportunities, the Workforce Center
can be a strong pathway. With the
resources of Thaddeus Stevens
College, Tec Centro, and donations
from outside businesses and industry
partners, students have access to
uniforms, tools, and safety equipment
they need for their training. Further,
program participants are welcome
to visit Thad's Closet to select
gently used clothing if they need
outfits for an interview or work.
By design, Workforce Center training is
geared toward immediate employment
and upskilling. However, Valerie also
sees it as a pathway to a degree for
some participants: " We have seen the
workforce programs act as a catalyst,
revealing the broader opportunities
and benefits that further education
can provide, thus increasing a learner's
desire to enroll at the College. "
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23 : Tower Magazine
Tower Magazine - Summer/Fall 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tower Magazine - Summer/Fall 2024
