SLIBCO AWARDS
GRANT TO
INCUBATOR CLIENT
Exchanging Experiences
Skills in Scranton program brings educators into the workplace
For any educator, the chance to bring
real-world experience to the classroom
is priceless. Keeping this in mind, Skills
in Scranton, the Chamber’s workforce
development affiliate, seeks to facilitate
that connection with its Educator in the
Workplace program.
The five-day initiative aims to connect
area educators with local businesses so
that they develop an awareness of how
to integrate the business community
with education and develop innovative
instructional practices. The program also
seeks to provide relevance while building
an educator’s capacity to enhance student
advancement. This year, 15 educators,
representing five schools, participated
in the program and six area businesses
served as their hosts.
Schools that participated in this year’s
program included:
• Carbondale Area Jr./Sr. High School
• Dunmore High School
• Holy Cross High School
• Mid Valley Jr./Sr. High School
• Scranton School District
“The Educator in the Workplace
program plays a significant role in
linking educators with Lackawanna
County businesses,” said Lyndsay Grady,
director of workforce development.
“Educators have the opportunity to
get a behind-the-scenes view of what
goes into running a successful business
and learning about potential career
opportunities for their students, who will
comprise our future workforce.”
Educators had the opportunity to
immerse themselves in the day-to-day
operations of their host businesses,
including spending time in the
organization’s various departments and
working directly with patients. They
also had the chance to attend panel
discussions on healthcare occupations,
employment outlooks and workplace
safety, as well as discuss how they
would integrate their experiences in the
program with their lesson planning for
the next school year and beyond.
SLIBCO, the industrial development arm of
The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce,
recently awarded Business Incubator Client
Sho Technology Solutions a grant for
continued operating expenses.
Funding for the grant was given through a
“Discovered in PA, Developed in PA” (D2PA)
grant from tecBRIDGE’s Incubator Support
Program in the amount of $1,700. TecBRIDGE’s
Incubator Support Program assists between
10 and 20 early stage companies with funding
for office space, marketing and sales support
with the ultimate goal of strengthening both
entrepreneurial efforts and incubator facilities
in our region.
“SLIBCO is very pleased to have been able
to assist Sho Technology Solutions through
tecBRIDGE and their incubator support
program,” said Aaron Whitney, incubator
program manager. “Jason Washo and his
team are a great addition to our program and
we know this grant will assist them in their
continued efforts to grow and add jobs to our
community. We are excited by the continued
success of this program, as well as the
success of our incubator program and of local
entrepreneurship.”
Owned by Jason Washo, Sho Technology
Solutions is a software company located in The
Chamber’s Business Incubator at the Scranton
Enterprise Center that focuses on software
solutions for its clients, including maintenance,
sales, consulting and development. Sho also
creates and hosts Android, iOS and Windows
applications supported by private and public
cloud servers.
Businesses that participated in this year’s
program included:
• Commonwealth Health – Moses Taylor
Hospital
• Commonwealth Health – Regional Hospital
of Scranton
• Allied Services
• Geisinger Community Medical Center
• The Wright Center
• Hospice of the Sacred Heart
“My experience at the Chamber’s Business
Incubator has truly helped my company
thrive,” Washo said. “I am surrounded by
innovative and inspiring individuals who offer
guidance on my business strategy and help to
match my product and service offerings with
the needs of other businesses. Thanks to this
program, I have expanded my company more
than I could have imagined. I am honored to
have received this grant.”
www.scrantonchamber.com • 7