WNEP-TV covers visit from Secretary Walker
Thursday, December 18, 2025
photos by Tom Speicher, writer/video producer
WNEP-TV’s Mackenzie Aucker (left) asks Walker about the importance of the bus mechanic apprenticeship.
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Nancy A. Walker toured Penn College’s new bus mechanic apprenticeship program at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Wednesday, and WNEP-TV’s Mackenzie Aucker was there to cover the official visit.
The reporter interviewed the secretary and Alexandra M. Lehman, a training specialist for Penn College Workforce Development, while the first cohort of apprentices received hands-on experience in an engine lab.
Offered through Workforce Development, the registered bus mechanic apprenticeship program is a first-of-its-kind initiative that addresses the critical shortage of skilled bus mechanic technicians across the state’s public transportation sector.
Aucker’s story for the ABC affiliate can be viewed here: Penn College of Technology offers new bus mechanic apprenticeships to boost local workforce
Alexandra M. Lehman (right), a training specialist for Penn College Workforce Development, explains that the apprenticeship program combines on-the-job training with extensive technical instruction.