Alliance formed to develop a better local work force in Wayne County

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — Wayne County is developing a two-pronged workforce system.

First, it needs to develop a skilled workforce to attract businesses here and retain those that are already here. Second, it needs to help fulfill the career dreams and goals of local adults and youths.

“It’s good to have courses for students that they like to pursue, but it’s also important to have courses that will end up in a job with a local employer,” said John Drake of Northampton Community College.

In order to fulfill this dual goal, a unique alliance has been formed to determine exactly how to achieve this.

Workforce Wayne, a group of individuals from education, business, chambers of commerce, county and state governments as well as private citizens, has formed Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED).

The alliance, which meets on a monthly basis, has received a grant of $285,000 from a program called Wall Street West (WSW). WSW has support through a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as well as a combined $24 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and private industry.

Since the tragedy of 9-11, which hit Wall Street businesses very hard, there has been a movement by the federal and state governments to promote data back-up and back-office operations in outlying areas to establish supplemental facilities to safeguard data, fund the education and training of a growing workforce and expand the competitiveness and potential of these industries.

The movement stemmed from an interagency report by the Security and Exchange Commission to make the region around New York City an optimal geographic location for banking and securities activities.

The funds will be used to staff two positions initially: a director of workforce initiatives and a business-education liaison worker. Matching funds will be provided by the locality.

A shared learning facility would provide computers, software, networks, Internet connections, broadband access, videoconferencing, printers and accessories.

“In essence, we will provide the educational infrastructure to train incumbent workers, provide for distance learning and bring more higher education offerings to the county,” said Marie McDonnell, director of the county’s Job Training Partnership program.

There will be rural career development centers as well as financial service industry school-to-work programs, which will be supplemented by internships for high school and college students.

“We want to create a model program that will transform how our schools are approaching work-based education and integrating it into the new collaborative workforce system that is now being developed,” Drake said.