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IN RECESSION, PA WORKFORCE TRAINING EFFORTS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN EVER

March 8-14 will mark Workforce Solutions Week, a celebration of the innovative work of local partnerships to build next generation workforce

 

Erie, PA (March 8, 2010) – This week, employees, businesses and community leaders across Pennsylvania are recognizing the work of local partnerships that are training individuals to succeed as the economy recovers, while meeting the evolving workforce needs of employers.

 

With unemployment at a nearly 30-year high in Pennsylvania, the collaboration between the RCWE, NWPA WIB and support from the Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions (PFWS) and the Erie Community Foundation, is more important than ever. Nearly six out of 10 unemployed workers in Pennsylvania lack any education beyond high school. At the same time, more than two-thirds of jobs in today’s economy require post-secondary education or skills training. As the economy changes over time, new skills and specialties are constantly needed for workers to compete in a global economy.

 

“There is a great deal of talk about jobs today, but little straight talk about the fact that many of the jobs that existed before the recession will not exist after the recovery,” said Michele Zieziula, RCWE CEO. “In Northwest Pennsylvania we are preparing jobseekers and employees for careers in fields that offer great opportunity and are the future of the economy, such as in healthcare and green jobs.”

 

From March 8-14, The Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions, a statewide collaborative of private and public funders across the state, will participate in Workforce Solutions Week, honoring the innovative work of local partnerships across the U.S. to build the nation’s frontline workforce. It is part of a national weeklong celebration, coordinated by Jobs for the Future.

 

Pennsylvania is a leader in this effort with its Industry Partnerships strategy, which helps connect workforce education and training programs to the critical needs of industry across Pennsylvania.  The public and private funds invested in these efforts have seen a high rate of return over time, with over 70,000 workers and 7,000 employers participating in the program.

 

The success of workforce training efforts in Northwest PA is clear. In conjunction with Workforce Solutions Week, the RCWE along with the PA CareerLink® - Erie County and the Northwest PA Healthcare Industry Partnership will offer a Healthcare Employer and Job Ready Candidate Coffee Hour for participants of the PA Fund for Workforce Solutions Healthcare Recruitment and Screen Pilot Project on Thursday March 11, 2010.

 

This event will allow successful Job Ready Candidates an opportunity to meet with participating Healthcare Employers from the Northwest PA Healthcare Industry Partnership.  The event will be held at the PA CareerLink® - Erie County, 1309 French Street.

 

“We have partnered with healthcare employers here to strengthen our local economy, ensure our local businesses are prepared to compete, and create good jobs for the women and men who live here,” said Zieziula.

 

Pennsylvania is one of only a few states to recognize Industry Partnerships as the foundation for a more effective workforce that delivers for businesses and employers. However, state funding was slashed for the program – from $20 million last year to $8 million this year. If Pennsylvania is to continue to be a leader in workforce solutions, it needs to make Industry Partnerships permanent and identify dedicated funding to sustain Industry Partnerships for the long term.

 

The Pennsylvania Fund for Workforce Solutions (PFWS) provides training and supports to help entry-level workers gain employment and advance in good-paying jobs with employers who participate in Industry Partnerships. PFWS trained nearly 500 workers and placed 120 in jobs in manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and utilities, most at wages ranging from $10 to $15 per hour.

 

Workforce Solutions Week is being coordinated nationally by Jobs for the Future, which develops innovative education and workforce strategies that enable individuals to achieve family-sustaining careers and strength the nation’s global competitiveness. In nearly 200 communities in 41 states, Jobs for the Future improves the pathways leading from high school to college to family-sustaining careers.

 

For additional information please visit http://www.wsw.org/jff 

 

 

 

From the Rendell Administration: Pennsylvania Named as Finalist in Federal ‘Race to the Top’ School Reform Competition State Could Receive up to $400 Million in Federal Grants, With Goal of Doubling Rate of Student Improvement by 2014.  Read the complete release here.

 

 

March 8-14 will mark National Workforce Solutions Week, a nationwide celebration of the innovative work of local partnerships to build next generation workforce.  

Jobs for the Future (JFF) has invited partners and principals in the workforce community to join in celebrating Workforce Solutions Week 2010, an opportunity to honor local successes, expand the reach of local projects, and deepen the community relationships that are essential for future growth and stability.

During the week events will take place that inform local stakeholders and the media about the power of local partnerships to increase career advancement for low-income individuals and low-wage workers, while meeting the workforce needs of employers. The week will highlight the successes of individual participants, service providers, employers, funders, and other partners by holding local events across the country within this one-week period to build national media attention.

For more information, please visit www.jff.org/wsw.

Questions or comments on Workforce Solutions Week 2010 may be directed to Joshua Gambrell at jgambrell@jff.org or 617-728-4446 ext. 106.

For local information please contact Marsha Walker, Outreach Coordinator at mwalker@nwpawib.org or 814.333.1286 for complete details on the event planned in Northwest PA in conjunction with Workforce Solutions Week.

On March 24, 2010 Mr. David Van Amburg will present to Women's Round Table members and guests. 

His presentation is entitled "Drive Your Business With Instant Info: Real-Time Communications Management Systems". The event will begin with a Social at 6:00 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m.  at the Erie Yacht Club.

For complete details please visit the Women's Round Table web site.

The National Association of Workforce Board's Forum 2010 - Preparing a Competitive U.S. Workforce - Reflection, Reinvestment, Recovery will be held March 6 - 9, 2010 at the Renaissance Washington DC Hotel in our nation's capital.

It is a vital time for the workforce industry with the influx of stimulus funding and an administration focused on recovering a struggling economy. With record unemployment across the country there has been no more important time for workforce organizations to raise the bar on service delivery and innovation.

Complete details of event here.

Managing the green initiative, funded through the Federal Stimulus package, in Northwestern Pennsylvania falls into three distinct areas, weatherization, the development of the Northwest Pennsylvania Green Economy Taskforce (NW PAGE) and the creation of a regional

The first of these initiatives is weatherization.  This program provides approximately $252,000,000 for the weatherization of 70,000 lower-income homes in the region.  The Northwestern Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board will administer approximately $20,000,000 to establish a training center capable of providing a certification program for companies providing weatherization services.  This certification program will extend to business providing these services commercially and to residences of person who are not low-income.  The program should initially generate 50-70 new jobs.

The second of the green initiatives is NW PAGE.  In February of 2009, Representative Kathy Dahlkemper conducted a summit on green initiatives. NW PAGE was formed as an interest group wanting to research and promote green initiatives in the region following this conference.  NW PAGE has grown to a membership of nearly 50 individuals representing Private Industry, Workforce Development, Economic Development, Chambers of Commerce, Community Development Non-Profits, Environmental Non-Profits, and State Agencies.  The Northwest Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board facilitated the development of a strategic plan for the group.

The plan outlines four goals:

Goal #1: Promote the development of a state of the art, accessible training provider system for green workforce training focusing on all segments of the population including the unemployed and underemployed.

Goals #2: Maximize the capacity of the partnering organizations and companies to promote the NW PAGE Strategic Plan through a single sustainable partnership organization (NW PAGE).

Goals #3: Promote the development of green jobs that pay family sustaining wages in Northwest PA by utilizing assets of NW PAGE partners.

Goal #4: Promote regional accomplishments within private sector and university technology innovations to validate Northwest PA as a leader of the green movement.

The initiative is patterned in part after a similar initiative in the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina which is establishing itself as “the Research Triangle.”  Kathy Feeney from the Clean Air Council in Philadelphia and Nick Hoffmann are facilitating this group.

The final initiative for which Nick has responsibility is in the formative stages.   The concept is to create a Pennsylvania Center for Green Careers, similar to the Pennsylvania Center for Healthcare Careers.  This Center would be located in Harrisburg under the direction of the State Workforce Investment Board.  The Center would be funded through a Federal grant through the stimulus act, which has been applied for.   The grant application incorporates Northwestern Pennsylvania, based on the resources which the region can devote to green initiatives.

NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA: A GREEN INITIATIVE RESOURCE CENTER

In order to include the Northwest Pennsylvania region in the state’s grant application for a Center for Green Careers, Nick and representatives of two energy manufacturers travelled to Harrisburg to present the region’s credentials for inclusion in the grant application.  One of the companies that were represented was Lake Erie Biofuels, now known as HEROBX. Their representative was Scott Newell.  Also participating was Lisa DiFrancisco of Northcoast Energy Systems. HEROBX is the leading producer of Biodiesel in the Northeastern United States. They state that they can be trusted for excellent, competitively-priced B100 and B99.9 direct from their state-of-the art plant in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Their Desmet Ballestra designed continuous-flow technology represents the vanguard in industry processing methods. They promise fuels you can trust; every shipment, every day.

On-site laboratory facilities for ASTM D6751 and EN 14214 testing assure you that in all recognized uses and weather conditions their biodiesel will not only consistently meet, but will surpass, accepted industry standards for performance and quality.

Northcoast Energy Systems, located in Erie, Pennsylvania, is the area's certified dealer/installer for Bergey WindPower, Abundant Renewable Energy, and Wind Turbine Industries Corp. We are highly-qualified and happy to provide service at every step - from the first phone call to the final connection of your renewable energy system. The goal of North Coast Energy Systems is to provide quality equipment and service to each and every customer, as well as provide support and education for both our customers and for the community.

Resources located in Northwestern Pennsylvania that justify its inclusion in the grant application were presented by this delegation.

Northwest PA has several distinct characteristics that are relevant to the development of a green economy and green jobs in the region.  First and foremost the region is home to approximately 50 miles of coast along Lake Erie.  There is a substantial amount of commercial and residential wind that can be harvested along the lake shore as well as by mounting wind turbines in the lake itself.  These installations are feasible because the the average water depth is only 62 feet in Lake Erie, compared to a range of 195 feet to 483 feet in the other great lakes.  (Cleveland and Buffalo have been exploring and moving this opportunity forward already. No one has completed a turbine in the water yet) 

Lake Erie also provides access to transporting large items anywhere in the world without the difficulties that moving these large objects via roadways poses.  For example a 200 foot wind turbine blade could be shipped anywhere in the world via the St. Lawrence Seaway from Northwest PA without almost any road transportation.  Also, domestic shipping to the Great Lakes Region (High Prospect for Wind Development) and the Plains States (High Prospect for Wind Development) can be accessed by shipping west through the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi River via the Illinois River as well as international shipping to Canada through the lakes.  Companies wishing to transport smaller items across land could utilize I-90 or I-80 for those shipping needs as well. 

Northwest PA is a center for manufacturing companies in the plastics, metals and electronics industry with a workforce that could be readily adapted to manufacturing products for renewable energy sources.

Northwest PA is also home to the first Interstate Workforce Investment Region, with West Central WIA joining together with neighboring WIA’s in Ohio.  Northwest WIA is following suit to create the first Tri-State Workforce Investment Region bringing together neighboring WIA’s from New York and Ohio.  This cooperative effort could become especially integral in the development of Wind Energy initiatives along the lake shore in all three states.

Northwest PA is also home to the largest Biofuels producer in PA and has a substantial amount of activity in the Biomass discipline.  This expertise will provide opportunities in both manufacturing and agriculture.

NW PAGE began in February 2009 as a group of industry experts interested in advancing green initiatives in Northwest PA.  Since then the group has grown to over 50 members (members represent workforce development, economic development, chambers of commerce, private sector renewable energy companies, private sector weatherization and energy conservation companies, energy efficiency consultants, environmental nonprofits, DEP, unions, and other nonprofits). 

This organization is engaged in the:

1. Development of a Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Building Trades, focusing on developing a pipeline for Green Building in the region.
2. Provide training program for manufacturing companies in the region to train workers on energy efficient practices in order for business to promote themselves as being energy conscious.
3. Provide training for emerging Alternative Energy Companies for both Incumbent Workers and potential new hires.  This is especially important in an emerging evolving industry.

4. Through partnerships, advance the region’s green agenda, by attracting new businesses, new careers, new technology, and a new image of the region for this industrial sector.                                               

The goal of this report is to let you know how your money is being spent.

When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act became law on February 17, 2009, the commonwealth acted quickly to invest Recovery Act funds in the economy. This report chronicles the commonwealth’s activities over the past year, from rapid deployment of funds, to starting projects that put people to work, to creating far-reaching, long-term benefits for the citizens of Pennsylvania.

View complete report here.

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that Pennsylvania will receive more than $128 million in two federal Recovery Act grants to expand broadband infrastructure in underserved areas and to directly connect critical community institutions to enhance healthcare delivery, education, workforce development, and public safety.

Read the complete Press Release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Washington, D.C. – The Obama Administration today announced a multi-agencyinitiative to spur regional economic growth while making buildings more energyefficient. Seven federal agencies today issued a combined Funding OpportunityAnnouncement of up to $129.7 million over five years to create a regional research centerthat will develop new building efficiency technologies and work with local partners toimplement the technologies in area buildings.

View the complete press release here.

Learn about Tap Into Manufacturing (T.I.M.) on Wednesday, February 17th at 12:00 PM at the PennDOT 1st Floor Conference Room (255 Elm Street, Oil City, PA. Parking Available in the parking ramp across the street).           

Lunch will be served.

NO COST to attend, but you must RSVP.      

RSVP NOW by emailing rsvp@tapintomanufacturing.com  (Please put Oil City as the Subject) or call 814.454.7191 or email info@tapintomanufacturing.com for additional information.        


www.tapintomanufacturing.com