Beaver County Chamber of Commerce President Jack Manning’s May 2019 Message

Government Affairs Educational Pathway’s Sub-Committee Report

The Beaver County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee has three key area of advocacy for 2019. These three areas are 1) Elevating Transportation Infrastructure; 2) Maximizing our Riverfront Potential; and 3) Enhancing Educational Pathways. As we enter the month of May with the impending end of the school year and graduations, we’d like to focus on the third of these.

We believe there is nothing more important at this point of the Beaver Valley’s economic revitalization than workforce development. A competent education system is necessary to produce and sustain a qualified workforce that can adapt to the current economy and labor market, with sufficient funding to efficiently improve student outcomes. Specifically, the Chamber supports:

• Supports the study and analysis of our current K-12 system to ensure that all students have the opportunity to receive a quality education, including our underserved areas. The includes measures such as the feasibility study being commissioned by the Quality Education Council of the Beaver County Partnership for Community and economic Growth (the “Partnership”);
• Encourage further development of post-secondary opportunities to help retain Beaver County students beyond their high-school years;
• Advocate for business-education partnership that support and grow current infrastructure, such as the Energy & Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, the Bridges and Pathways College Partnership between CCBC, Geneva, Penn State-Beaver, and Robert Morris University, Junior Achievement BizTown and their classroom programs, the Quality Education Council, Team Consortium, and the Beaver Valley Innovation Hub.
• Urges funding to increase awareness by students and families of the numerous career pathways that currently exist in our region.

All of our current Chamber members are looking for talent to fill open positions and expand their business. Whether you are an entrepreneur opening a small business, a nonprofit providing valuable social services, or a manufacturer looking for technicians and mechanics, everyone is looking for employees willing to learn and become part of their work-teams.

Ensuring that our students understand all the career pathways and opportunities ahead of them is critical. While much emphasis has been rightly placed on the building trades and the need for multiple skilled workers, opportunities abound across multiple segments of our economy. There is great demand for those skilled in healthcare, financial management, hospitality, and food service, as well as engineering.

There are multiple Chamber members and organizations that are working to help high school graduates find the right career path for them, as well as upskill current employees to take on new and emerging careers that require more technical training. Our Bridges and Pathways College Partnership institutions have redefined their curriculum to provide for the right employer needs of an ever-changing knowledge-based economy.  Organizations such as PA CareerLink, Job Training for Beaver County, Community College of Beaver County. Pittsburgh Technical College, Penn State Beaver, the Builders Guild of New Castle and our many union partners, all have programs and apprenticeships for many of today’s career opportunities.

Beaver County is experiencing a great resurgence in job growth and record low unemployment. We know that in order to foster continued business growth and development, organizations will need a skilled workforce. Our Chamber membership and the Government Affairs Committee are committed to ensuring that every student and worker within our region has the skills and opportunity for a successful, family sustaining career. By doing so, we hope to ensure continued prosperity and a quality of life that will sustain us through many future generations.

This important community update is brought to you by Beaver Falls Municipal Authority, 1st Consultants, Strassburger, McKenna, Gutnick & Gefsky, Ambridge Regional Chamber of Commerce, Skerlec Contracting, and NovaCare!