Lehigh Area College Earns $1.43 Million SBA Grant

SCHNECKSVILLE PA – A Lehigh Valley educational institution is one of only 11 organizations nationwide that qualified Wednesday (Aug. 5, 2026) for a federal grant to provide industrial employers with hands-on training for their workers.

Lehigh Carbon Community College is scheduled to receive $1.43 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The college, with its main campus in Schnecksville PA and two facilities in Allentown PA, serves Lehigh, Carbon, and Schuylkill counties.

It is the only Pennsylvania recipient of this year’s SBA “Empower to Grow Program” funding.

The agency distributed a total of $50 million among the program winners. The remainder are located in Louisiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Arizona.

The SBA reports small manufacturers make up 98% of all producers in America. Its grants, it says, enable the winners to supply free courses, practical workshops, and one-on-one advising to manufacturers within their regions.

Improving Efficiency and Productivity

The education is intended to expand their operations and workforce, heighten regulatory compliance, and grow “competitiveness in government contracting.”

Lehigh Carbon already operates a “customizable mobile training” program in its three-county area. It will offer direct training to small- and mid-sized manufacturers. The college anticipates it can “improve small manufacturers’ efficiencies and productivity.”

The education, it adds, can cover “advanced manufacturing, mechatronics, and electrical and mechanical systems.” Other potential training includes programmable logic controllers, electronics, smart manufacturing, and maintenance fundamentals.”

The SBA says on-site training at manufacturers’ facilities reduces workflow interruptions. Additionally, it encourages smaller and more focused training groups. It also can ensure employees obtain relevant industry-recognized credentials.

Photo by Josh Beech on Unsplash, used under license

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