Lackawanna College opening in Westmoreland County

GREENSBURG, Pa. — Almost two years after Triangle Tech closed in downtown Greensburg, a new vocational school is set to open this fall.

Lackawanna College announced the opening of a satellite campus at the Greensburg Center off of Wilson Avenue.

“They can get their degree in 12 months or 18 months. It’s good for the community,” said Tim Chamberlain of Apollo, about the new school.

Stephen Bell went to a VoTech school and said it’s a great education.

“It’s good for young people to have a trade. I think it’s getting lost in these days. I do carpentry myself, so I am all for the trades,” said Bell.

The new school will offer associate’s degrees in both electrical and welding technology starting this fall. Chief operating officer with the college, TJ Eltringham, said the school has been looking to expand into Western Pennsylvania for some time due to their partnerships with energy companies in Pittsburgh.

“We did a little more research to understand the size, population, demographics, to understand the employment needs to the area, and this became really attractive to us,” said Eltringham

He said Lackawanna College has continued growing its enrollment after joining a Division Two athletic conference, merging with Pierce College in Philadelphia last year and because of the necessary programs they offer.

“Students know that they’re going to come in, get trained in a specific career for the most part, and be able to get into a workforce that is needed. There’s going to be jobs out there when they graduate,” said Eltringham.

This fall, Lackawanna will start with a class of 30-50 students. There will be another cohort opportunity again in the spring. The college also plans to partner with Westmoreland County high schools soon.

“We will be reaching out personally to a lot of the high schools, but in the meantime, if anyone has any questions at all, visit Lackawanna.edu for more information on how to reach out specifically to the Greensburg Center.

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