Industry Clusters are defined by analyzing such data as employment, earnings, and wages and by using analytical techniques, such as location quotients, shift/share components, competitive components and others to determine if there is a grouping(s) of key industries within a local area.
Local Industry Clusters were defined using data from the PA Department of Labor's Center of Workforce Analysis local area reports and from their Regional Data Analysis Tool (RDAT).   Data was also considered from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Industry Cluster Analysis created by Duquesne and Carnegie Mellon for the Pittsburgh Technology Council

Manufacturing Industry Cluster:
Each of the three counties are served by a Manufacturing consortium.  These groups share the similar focus of providing manufacturers the opportunity to network and share resources to strengthen the manufacturing cluster. 

Members include local manufacturers and resource partners who network and share information on various topics such as the rising cost of healthcare, obtaining and keeping a skilled workforce, workers' compensation costs, trade policies, tort reform, energy regulations and environmental regulations.

Health Care Industry Cluster:
Each of the three counties are served by a Health Care consortium.  These groups share a common focus on addressing workforce issues related to health care.

The consortium addresses the issues by increasing health care opportunity awareness, providing health care training, educating youth on the importance of healthcare careers, and sharing resources.

Defining Key Industry Clusters allows us to:

 - Address current and future workforce shortages
 - Address skill shortages as defined by industries within certain clusters
 - Create a more effective and efficient workforce development system
 - Create a unified local effort, which joins economic development, workforce development and education

Local Industry Clusters include:
 - Health Care
 - Manufacturing
 - Financial Services
 - Tourism
 - Truck Driving
 - Education

TCWIB Partners with Health Care & Manufacturing consortia in each of the 3 counties.
The Workforce Investment Act mandates the creation of a One-Stop system at the local level for the delivery of workforce development services.
Pennsylvania's One-Stop Centers are known as CareerLinks.