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Pennsylvania Employment Grant

May 4th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

The High Growth Job Training Initiative has been launched to open doors for workers through preparation for jobs in the fast-growing area called advanced manufacturing.

The Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board is getting the Pennsylvania employment grant to participate in the worker training process. Some $1.5 million is coming their way.

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said the grant is one of a series adding up to $16.8 million. Grants are going out to 10 other organizations as well, in 10 states.

“These $168 million in grants,” said Secretary Chao, “made possible by the High Growth Job Training Initiative, will prepare workers for rewarding careers” in the new high-tech manufacturing area, “and help retain America’s competitive edge in the worldwide economy.”

This effort represents the educational side of a cooperative effort involving the region’s employers and the public workforce system. Through these forums the most serious shortfalls in labor availability will be named and other crucial issues pinpointed. The participants will then submit the whole package to a regional competitive process that should result in solutions to the problems.

Manufacturers say they are having trouble filling jobs in advanced manufacturing. The problem, say in a recent survey, is finding qualified people for the highly technical, yet high-growth sector.

The jobs are not keeping up with the innovation. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that manufacturing accounts for more innovation than any other sector. That is not surprising given the fact that it funds 60% of the annual $193 billion that the private sector as a whole supplies for research and development.

Good, high-paying jobs are there for workers who qualify. Average salaries and benefits in manufacturing stand head and shoulders above the average for the total private sector. In fact they are $54,000 higher. Add that to opportunities for more education and more training, and you have an attractive job market, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.