Pennsylvania Partners began as an informal group of workforce development professionals who came together in 1983-84 to develop a statewide organization to foster the sharing of information among workforce development professionals and provide liaison with state and federal government agencies and other workforce partners. They organized the first statewide workforce conference in 1984, which has evolved into the annual Pennsylvania Employment, Training & Education Conference, one of the largest statewide workforce conferences in the United States.  This conference, held each spring, attracts more than 1,300 professionals from all facets of workforce development and is cosponsored by federal and state agencies that are partners in the workforce development system.

The association formally incorporated as Pennsylvania Partners in 1989 and is currently headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, just minutes from the state capitol. The core membership of Pennsylvania Partners is made up of two representatives from each of the 23 Workforce Investment Areas in Pennsylvania, which comprise the association’s board.  Members are appointed by the chair of the local Workforce Investment Board and the chief elected local official in each local Workforce Investment Area. Officers and 14 trustees elected by the board comprise the association’s executive committee.