Oakdale – April 11, 2012 – The Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a roundtable discussion here on workforce development issues and challenges facing community colleges and trade schools.
“Any legislative effort to energize our economy and create jobs must include an aggressive workforce training plan,” said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, who requested that the hearing be held in the Pittsburgh region. “Job creation and training will continue to be the central core of the Senate Democrats’ agenda.”
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), who chairs the committee, added that it was important to gather input from educators and business leaders from all over the state on bills introduced as well as their own ideas for how best to train workers for good jobs today – and tomorrow.”
Sen. Wayne Fontana said “matching jobs with opportunities” was imperative along with retraining and refocusing the workforce.
Pointing to the abundance of jobs in the growing energy industry in southwestern Pennsylvania, Sen. Tim Solobay urged that more emphasis be placed on connecting students to those jobs. He said he has held well received energy education forums for students as well as area school teachers.
Sen. Jim Ferlo said he was concerned that there was no direct connection between job training and lower income, disenfranchised communities.
Nearly all of the participants pointed toward the need to recruit and attract more students to technical and trade schools. James Denova, vice president of the Benedum Foundation, said up to 70 percent of new job in the next decade would require an associate or certificate degree. He also suggested partnering more with businesses on job needs and allowing corporations to become investors in trade schools. He also suggested looking beyond municipal and state boundaries in formulating job creation/training strategies.
Dr. Alex Johnson, president of the Community College of Allegheny County, added, “Training and qualifying more workers would cut our region’s unemployment rate in half.”
Jack Highfield, director of the Parkway West Career & Technology Center, said career and technical centers are underutilized resources and draw less than 10 percent of eligible students. Kelleigh Boland, director of the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, added that two-thirds of new jobs require “more than a high school degree, but less than a college degree.”
Last year, Senate Democrats unveiled a legislative package, called PA Works, which is aimed at invigorating Pennsylvania’s economy and creating jobs. Boscola said the Democratic plan would leverage $2 billion in private investment to help put people to work, cut business taxes and help small businesses be more competitive, rebuild the state’s aging infrastructure, foster the growth of promising new clean and green energy industries and retool worker training programs.
“Across the state, expert after expert has told us that we are failing our kids by herding them toward careers that aren’t out there,” Boscola said. “The time has come to recognize that a four-year college education isn’t the only path to a good job and family-sustaining career.”
The panelists included:
- Dr. Alex Johnson, President, Community College of Allegheny County;
- Jack Highfield, Director, Parkway West Career & Technology Center;
- Kelleigh Boland, Director, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board;
- Laura Fisher, Sr. Vice President, Allegheny Conference on Community Development;
- William Cagney, Business Manager, Intl. Union of Operating Engineers, Local 95;
- Dr. Linda Lane, Superintendent, Pittsburgh School District; and
- James Denova, Vice President, Benedum Foundation
# # #