Jun 28, 2019 | Philadelphia Inquirer
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May 22, 2019 | Lori K. Renne
Our recent All Business podcast takes us back to school where we are talking to Dr. Ruth Patterson at Olney Charter High School in Philadelphia about their JAG program—Job’s for America’s Graduates. Listen in and learn how this program is teaching students employability skills and increases their workforce opportunities, all while reducing poverty and unemployment.
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May 10, 2019 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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May 3, 2019 | Tricia Harris
The PA Chamber of Business and Industry is proud to announce an expansion of its far-reaching workforce development efforts with the hire of Allen Norton as the organization’s first workforce development executive.
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Apr 29, 2019
Around 60 percent of veteran-owned businesses have experienced at least one financial shortfall, according to a recent report on veteran entrepreneurs. Beyond that, 75 percent of veteran entrepreneurs who were surveyed said that a lack of social capital — networks, mentors and other experts — was their biggest challenge to starting and growing their business.
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Apr 4, 2019 | Tricia Harris
The PA Chamber is proud to announce that the organization’s Director of Marketing, Lori Renne, has been selected to participate in the second cohort of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers and builds their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.
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Feb 28, 2019 | Philadelphia Inquirer
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Feb 19, 2019 | Philadelphia Inquirer
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Feb 19, 2019 | The Tribune-Democrat
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Feb 13, 2019
Since 2010, national and regional studies have been ringing the bell about a shortage of skilled and qualified employees coming our way. The future is now here.
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Feb 5, 2019 | Lehigh Valley Business
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Feb 5, 2019 | Pennsylvania Capital-Star
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Jan 10, 2019 | Allentown Morning Call
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Jan 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.
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Jan 4, 2019 | Pennsylvania Watchdog
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Nov 25, 2018 | Philadelphia Inquirer
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Nov 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?
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Nov 13, 2018 | Tricia Harris
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr issued the following statement regarding Amazon’s decision to split its second headquarters between New York and northern Virginia.
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Oct 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.
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Oct 3, 2018 | Tricia Harris
Employers are reporting record high confidence in the state’s business climate, and are making investments in their facilities and workers that reflect this optimism. However, a jobs skills gap was listed for the first time as the biggest hurdle facing their business, and ongoing concerns about the state’s tax structure and rising healthcare rates still create barriers to economic opportunity. These indicators are among the responses from the PA Chamber’s 28th Annual Economic Survey, which was conducted in August 2018 by Susquehanna Polling and Research, a Harrisburg-based public opinion polling company.
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Aug 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.
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Aug 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.
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Jul 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!
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Jan 16, 2018 | Lori K. 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.
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Country Club of Harrisburg
Oct 01, 2019 - May 14, 2020
During the next decade, twelve million U.S. businesses will be changing hands – successfully, or not. According to Development Dimensions International, the rate of failure for new executives is up to 60 percent within the first 18 months; and within five years, two-thirds of executive hires will fail.
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Doubletree by Hilton Philadelphia - Valley Forge
Oct 01, 2019 - May 14, 2020
During the next decade, twelve million U.S. businesses will be changing hands – successfully, or not. According to Development Dimensions International, the rate of failure for new executives is up to 60 percent within the first 18 months; and within five years, two-thirds of executive hires will fail.
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Solutions 21 Training Center
Oct 01, 2019 - May 14, 2020
During the next decade, twelve million U.S. businesses will be changing hands – successfully, or not. According to Development Dimensions International, the rate of failure for new executives is up to 60 percent within the first 18 months; and within five years, two-thirds of executive hires will fail.
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Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel
Aug 07, 2019 | 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Advocacy & Community Leadership Issues Forum
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DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Reading
Aug 23, 2019 | 8:30 am to 10:30 am
Advocacy & Community Leadership Issues Forum
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To be successful in today's global economy, Pennsylvania must develop and harness the talent, skills and capacities of its citizens. Workers must be able to adapt and continually acquire the work practices and skills required by modern, flexible businesses. Unfortunately, public workforce development programs are too often based on out-of-date industrial models and not designed to meet current needs. Programs must also embrace a life-long approach to learning that is critical to the economic success of the Commonwealth.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry strongly encourages policymakers to undertake regular and thorough reviews of existing workforce development programs to make sure that each is part of achieving comprehensive, high quality results at an acceptable cost-per-participant. These reviews should include a cost-benefit analysis and an analysis of ways that excessive fragmentation of workforce development programs can be eliminated to provide more efficient delivery of services. Information from these reviews should be made readily available to the public.
In addition, The Pennsylvania Chamber supports:
- The establishment of clear performance criteria and system-wide accountability standards for all government workforce training programs.
- Regular monitoring and continual improvement of all existing government workforce training programs.
- Efforts to eliminate the perceived educational bias against vocational education programs.
- Efforts to expand and improve technical education in Pennsylvania to help job-seekers meet the requirements for employers' unfilled or prospective positions.
- Proven strategies to increase the workforce pipeline for all employers.
- Systems that more efficiently connect job seekers with job openings; particularly for those occupations where there are projected to be significant opportunities in employment needs.
- Programs that serve as effective means to fill the skills gap in those occupations which require some post-secondary training and which are expected to grow more rapidly than lower skill jobs requiring less education.
- Determining current and long-term community workforce needs and tailoring local programs accordingly.
- Promotion of private sector educational and training programs as well as encouraging institutions of higher education to offer courses aligning with workforce needs.
