KEYSTONE COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNCIL

What KEYSTONE COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNCIL does

Keystone Community Education Council (KCEC) is a Pennsylvania non-profit workforce development intermediary serving eight counties in the northwest region of the state: Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, and Warren. The organization functions as a coordinator and sponsor of registered apprenticeships, certificate programs, and small-business education, connecting employers, Career and Technical Centers, community colleges, and state agencies into a regional talent pipeline.

KCEC's core product set is centered on manufacturing trades: a registered Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship (now on its sixth cohort), a Combination Welding Apprenticeship, an Industrial Maintenance Apprenticeship, manufacturing certificate programs, and a newer Mold Maintenance program. Adjacent offerings include the Small Business Jump Start, a Veteran Entrepreneur Series reporting an 85% success rate, NHLA Lumber Inspector training, sUAS/Drone training delivered in partnership with Community College of Allegheny County, online coursework via Ed2go, and the NWPA Oil and Gas Hub, a regional energy-sector workforce initiative co-founded by KCEC. Major employer partners include Plastek Group, C&J Industries, Viking Plastics, Port Erie Plastics, Erie Molded Plastics, Beaumont Advanced Processing, and Specialty Fabrication and Powder Coating.

The business model is non-profit and grant-funded rather than revenue-driven in a commercial sense. KCEC receives the majority of its operating support from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, with supplemental funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, including a disclosed $600,000 grant from the Shapiro Administration in September 2024. Programs are delivered free or subsidized to apprentices and small-business participants, with employer sponsorship and state appropriations underwriting the cost of instruction. Leadership is led by Executive Director Lance Hummer, with Shawn DeLong as Apprenticeship Coordinator and Deb Lutz in event/program coordination.

Name

KEYSTONE COMMUNITY EDUCATION COUNCIL

Legal name

Keystone Community Education Council

Website

https://keystonecec.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Keystone Community Education Council is a Pennsylvania non-profit that coordinates registered apprenticeships, manufacturing training, and small-business education across eight counties in Northwest Pennsylvania, serving employers, job seekers, and veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Training

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Tribal Technical & Workforce Development Colleges (Trades/Applied Programs) (EDAHANAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Manufacturing education
• Community education services
• Vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oil City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Funded largely by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to meet workforce development needs in the service region. Additional grant funding from state programs like PA Smart Pathways to Innovation and Shapiro Administration apprenticeship expansion grants.
2. Grant Funding: Received $600,000 from Shapiro Administration to expand registered apprenticeship opportunities in manufacturing and develop a new Mold Maintenance program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Keystone Community Education Council is a not-for-profit community education council that acts as a clearinghouse and education referral resource, coordinating workforce development training and registered apprenticeship programs across northwestern Pennsylvania. The organization delivers PA State-registered apprenticeships in Plastics Process Technician, Combination Welding, and Industrial Maintenance, alongside manufacturing certificate programs, entrepreneurship training, and online education via the Ed2go platform. Programs are delivered at local Career and Technical Centers and employer worksites to upskill workers and address regional manufacturing skills gaps.

Product overview

Keystone Community Education Council is a not-for-profit workforce development organization funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, offering a comprehensive portfolio of training and apprenticeship programs across Clarion, Crawford, Mercer, and Venango Counties in Northwest Pennsylvania. The core offerings include registered apprenticeship programs in manufacturing fields (Plastics Process Technician, Combination Welding, Industrial Maintenance), manufacturing certificate programs (Welding Technology, Machine Technology, Basic Electronics, Pipe Welding), and workforce support services (Small Business Jump Start, Veteran Entrepreneur Series). The organization also operates the NWPA Oil and Gas Hub as a regional industry partnership initiative and provides online training through Ed2go. Programs are designed to bridge skills gaps by connecting local residents with practical education that leads directly to employment, utilizing partnerships with local Career and Technical Centers, community colleges, and regional employers. Funding support through grants like PA Smart Pathways enables low to no-cost participation for eligible individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship Program A PA State-registered apprenticeship combining over 340 hours of classroom and hands-on instruction with 4,000 hours of on-the-job training focused on injection molding, mold design and maintenance, quality systems, and workplace safety for manufacturing employers and apprentices.
• Combination Welding Apprenticeship A state-approved welding apprenticeship program combining education through the Welding Technology certificate program (18 college credits) with on-the-job training at Specialty Fabrication and Powder Coating for welders and welding employers.
• Industrial Maintenance Apprenticeship An apprenticeship program focused on industrial maintenance skills, promoted through existing apprenticeships and developing new Mold Maintenance programming for manufacturing employers and apprentices.
• Manufacturing Certificate Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates earn PA-State registered, industry-specific certifications and are eligible to earn credits toward an associate degree of Applied Science in Industrial Technology at Clarion University.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Pennsylvania Department of Labor & IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2024State agency providing grant funding ($600,000) and apprenticeship program support through the Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO) which currently supports 877 registered apprenticeship program sponsors and 1,556 occupation-specific programs across Pennsylvania.
• American Injection Molding (AIM) InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey training partner for Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship. Training location at AIM Institute facility at 6100 West Ridge Road, Erie, PA. Collaboration of twelve plastic manufacturers pioneered the apprenticeship program.
• Clarion UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner allowing apprentices to earn credits toward an Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology. Also collaborates on workforce development initiatives.
• Commonwealth UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining partnership providing educational experience aligned with industry needs. Collaboration through workforce development department.
• Northern Pennsylvania Regional CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in the Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship program helping deliver high-quality educational experience.
• Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in bringing five Technical Certificate Programs into the Northwest Pennsylvania area. Provides evening instruction for Welding Technology certificate program at Venango Technology Center.
• Oil Region AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the NWPA Oil and Gas Hub along with KCEC in 2009. Collaboration on economic development and petrochemical industry promotion in Northwest PA.
• TEAM ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on workforce development initiatives in the Northwest PA region.
• Thomas P Miller Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner for apprenticeship program development and support.
• Specialty Fabrication and Powder CoatingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost employer for Combination Welder Apprenticeship program. First of its kind in the region, with participants completing 4,000 on-the-job training hours at the facility.
• Venango Technology CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining location partner providing facilities for Welding Technology certificate program (18 college credits taught by CCAC adjunct) and NHLA Lumber Inspector Training.
• Crawford County Career and Technical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal CTC providing manufacturing training facilities including Welding Technology/Pipe Welding Program and Basic Electronics training.
• PA CareerLinkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral source for young adult services (ages 16-24) providing funding for individuals facing barriers to education or employment.
• NWPA Oil and Gas Hub TaskforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCEC facilitates this taskforce which promotes regional expansion and development of the petro-chemical industry for economic revitalization of Northwest PA.
• Plastek GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParticipating employer in Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship program with multiple apprentice graduates.
• C&J IndustriescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerParticipating employer supporting apprentices throughout the Plastics Process Technician program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Ed2go (Cengage Group): Online self-paced career training platform distributed through KCEC's site. Comparable as an alternative instructional channel competing for the same career-changer and incumbent-worker segments; often the first stop for individuals not located near a regional apprenticeship intermediary.
• Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO): State agency under the PA Department of Labor & Industry that registers apprenticeship sponsors and supports the 1,556 occupation-specific programs referenced in KCEC's $600K award. Comparable as the upstream accreditation and funding gatekeeper rather than a direct competitor — but its policies directly shape KCEC's program eligibility and competitive standing.

Regional players

• Philadelphia Works: Philadelphia's local workforce development board operating American Job Centers and sector-based training initiatives. Comparable as a regional WDB-style intermediary, though scaled to an urban labor market rather than a rural multi-county geography.
• Partner4Work: Workforce development intermediary for Allegheny and surrounding counties (southwestern PA). Comparable as a publicly funded convener that connects employers, training providers, and job seekers, but operating in a different region and with a broader sector mix than KCEC's manufacturing focus.

Direct peers

• Catalyst Connection: Pennsylvania MEP serving southwestern PA manufacturers with workforce, lean, and growth services. Closely comparable as a regional nonprofit that brokers training and continuous-improvement capacity into small/mid-market manufacturers, with similar blended funding from state, federal, and fee-based sources.
• Manufacturers Resource Center: Pennsylvania MEP centered in Reading, PA, supporting manufacturers with workforce development, training, and operational consulting. Comparable in mission and funding structure to KCEC, though operating in eastern PA rather than the NW counties.
• Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC): Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center serving the same NW Pennsylvania geography. Directly comparable as a manufacturing-focused workforce and operational-improvement intermediary funded by public and contract revenue, working with regional manufacturers to build technical skills and process capability.
• Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC): Two-year college delivering evening Welding Technology, drone, and technical certificate instruction inside KCEC's service area. Functions as both an educational partner and a partial peer — competing for the same manufacturing-trainee population and credit-bearing pathways.
• American Injection Molding (AIM) Institute: Erie, PA-based plastics manufacturing training organization that hosts the technical instruction for KCEC's Plastics Process Technician Apprenticeship. Functions as both a deep operational partner and a partial peer — competing for the same plastics-manufacturer training dollars in the same region.
• Clarion University of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Western University): Public university granting the Associate of Applied Science in Industrial Technology that KCEC apprentices can articulate into. Comparable as a regional postsecondary provider tied to the same employer base and apprenticeship credentials, and a structural peer for incumbent-worker and degree-pathway training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KeystoneCEC
• Facebookfacebook.com/Keystone-Community-Education-Council-112253021077

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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