Workforce SpotlightJanuary 10, 2019
With the goal of building a better local and regional workforce, the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County and the county’s educational leaders have joined forces to begin addressing the workforce needs of employers across industry sectors.
November 19, 2018
Interview with PIA President CEO Suzanne Markel
Congratulations on landing the Number One spot in Forbes’s “Top Trade School” List! What is the energy level at the school — and with your students — after receiving this honor?
October 25, 2018
In a recent webinar presented by the PA Chamber Education Foundation; Joe Harford, founder and president of cyber security company Reclamere, provided an overview of why the c-level must be involved in workforce to compete and remain in business.
August 28, 2018
The Challenge Program Inc. (TCP) partners with businesses that want to transform the scary part of career exploration for students into something enjoyable and beneficial. These businesses that come to the table play a vital role in not only helping their companies thrive, but in aiding the fight against the “workforce crisis.”
August 23, 2018
High School Leverages Cross-Sector Partnerships to Train Students for 21st-Century Careers Recent reports from the Allegheny Conference on Community Development have examined an impending workforce shortfall and persistent skills gap that pose challenges to business growth in western Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh area high school Nazareth College and Career Prep is addressing these issues head-on through cross-sector partnerships that allow the school to equip its students with in-demand skills and connect them to future employers.
August 20, 2018
The recession, an aging workforce, and an increasing emphasis on high tech jobs have produced a shortage of skilled workers, particularly those in trades that require special training and certification. It is estimated that about 1 million skilled workers were fired or laid off during the recession, a number that still hasn’t been replaced. The National Electrical Contractors Association reports that approximately 10,000 electricians retire each year, with only an estimated 7,000 available to fill those positions - plumbers, carpenters, welders and other skilled trades face similar gaps, creating a potentially dangerous shortfall of qualified employees to replace workers who are retiring from skilled trade jobs.
July 23, 2018
The All Business podcast welcomes Dr. Maurice Flurie, CEO of Commonwealth Charter Academy. Commonwealth Charter Academy not only concentrates on fostering each students’ achievement, but also on the family – offering support and services so the family is integral to the learning environment!
June 20, 2018
There’s no doubt that students who graduate are more likely to be successful in life. Yet, there aren’t a lot of free programs out there to help students prepare for a strong future —many test prep courses and materials cost a substantial amount of money. That’s why the U.S. Army wants to extend their commitment to educational programs and benefits as a public service to allow for greater accessibility to a much larger population. The U.S. Army wants to help create productive members of society by helping students in secondary school and beyond to achieve their careers in this country—and with no obligation to enlist in the Army.
April 01, 2018
It’s a question at the heart of every business operation — what does the future hold? As much as hard work, a dedicated and well-trained staff and an ability to keep up with the latest laws and regulations is paramount to the success of a company, it’s also important that employers keep an eye on how their industry is evolving and plan for their future according to these changes.
January 16, 2018 | Lori Renne
Today I was inspired and motivated by second chances. I had the privilege of attending HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College's S.T.E.P. Academy graduation. The graduates were made up of a group of men and one woman who, in their past, maybe took a wrong turn, but were there now to make a right one. Who were ready to "step up" and make a better future for themselves and ready themselves with the tools they need to be successful in today's workforce.
November 21, 2017
“We need to create jobs!” This rally cry may be the most commonly-used phrase of elected officials and business leaders in the decade since the Great Recession, and it’s finally earned some vacation time. With the economy close to full employment, perhaps it’s time to shift our focus to the hard part: creating workers.
November 21, 2017
Last year, the PA Chamber Educational Foundation commissioned a study about the struggles facing Pennsylvania employers in terms of the quality of their workforce and the job candidates pool. The results showed what we’d long heard anecdotally — business owners in a position to hire were having a difficult time finding qualified job candidates with the skills necessary to fill these roles. We knew that closing this jobs skills gap wasn’t a problem that the business community could handle singularly, and that bringing attention to it meant doing something big. In this case, ‘big’ meant hosting a Workforce Summit last year that featured Executive Producer and Show Host Mike Rowe, best known as “the dirtiest man on TV” from the hit TV series Dirty Jobs, as the keynote speaker.
November 21, 2017
The skills gap is a multifaceted issue and a growing threat to employers’ competitiveness and financial well-being. The U.S. Department of Labor emphasizes that more jobs are open now — 6.2 million in June — than at any time since it began tracking this data in 2000.
November 21, 2017
Pennsylvania has a business problem. Tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians with a criminal conviction are being prevented from access to housing, education and, most importantly, work opportunities. And the cost is enormous. According to 2015 statistics from Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, connecting just 100 formerly convicted Pennsylvanians with jobs produces $55 million in earnings and yields $1.9 million in wage tax contributions over their lifetimes.
November 01, 2017
Like so many companies in Pennsylvania, Elsner Engineering in Hanover needed to find a way to close the gap that exists between job candidates’ skills and what the company was looking for. And with multiple parties involved with shared responsibility—educators, employers, students and their families—tackling the major question, “What do we do about it?” was daunting.
July 24, 2017
Brookville Equipment is the little company that could. With over 200 employees, they have become an innovator in manufacturing transportation solutions specializing in locomotive, mining and streetcars.