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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Via e-mail
For more information contact:
Jennifer Porter
Director of Workforce Initiatives
Workforce Wayne
570.253.5334
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November 30, 2009 Workforce Wayne thanks supporters, recaps 2009 and lays out its vision forward The press and the community are invited for refreshments and a short press event on Thursday, December 3rd, 4pm at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Community Room 
Workforce Wayne at a recent community forum (L-R): Robert Brenne, Intern; Lyndsay Birmelin; Workforce Coordinator; Jennifer Porter, Director of Workforce Initiatives; Paula Fritz, Pike County Workforce Coordinator; Anthony Manzione, Woodloch Pines, Inc. and Workforce Wayne Board of Directors. NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA –
Workforce Wayne gives thanks publicly this Thursday, December 3rd at 4pm at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Community Room to those who have singed onto its Community Compact Agreement to show commitments to the Workforce Wayne mission. The organization will also recap its busy 2008-2009 and accomplishments achieved during the WIRED/Wall Street West grant period, and lay out the plans for moving forward in 2010 and beyond.
The Community Compact Agreement is the way organizations or individuals sign up to show support for Workforce Wayne by any or all of the following: Pledge financial investment; Post an employer profile website survey on the searchable web database; Host an intern/job shadowing student; Speak to a career class; Create/enhance employee training; Participate on a committee, including Outreach or the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership; Provide industry expertise; or Other assistance.
Thanks to supporters
There have been dozens of organizations or individuals who have signed a Workforce Wayne Community Compact Agreement or posted an Employer Profile Website survey, including: Ameriprise Financial Services, BD Chapman Insurance Agency, Bold Gold Media Group, Caesars Cove Haven, Cellular One of NEPA, Cherry Ridge Realty, Chesapeake Energy, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Dept. Of Corrections: SCI-Waymart, Devereux Pocono Center, Diakon Hospice St. John, Hamlin Vet Clinic, Honesdale Borough, Honesdale EMS, Honesdale National Bank*, Horsemankind, Howell, Howell & Krause, Human Resource Center, Karen Anne Geiger Associates, Kathy's License Service, Kiley Associates LLC, Lackawanna College, Lakeside Elementary School, Linde Corporation***, Northampton Community College, Olsommer-Clarke Insurance Group, Inc., Pauls Garage, Pennstar, Penn State University, PPL**, RE/MAX WAYNE, Rent-E-Quip, Inc., Skip Mendler, The Dime Bank, The Settlers Inn, The Wilshinsky Group at Smith Barney, The John & Helen Villaume Foundation****, Wachovia Community Partners*, Wallenpaupack Area School District, Wallenpaupack Area Middle School, Waste Management, Wayne Bank*, Wayne County, Wayne County Assistance Office, Wayne County Career Link, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Wayne County Green Party Committee, Wayne County Historical Society, Wayne County Job Training, Wayne County MH/MR/EI, WEDCO**, Wayne Highlands School District, Wayne Library Authority, Wayne Memorial Hospital***, Wayne-Pike Adult Literacy Program, Western Wayne School District, Woodloch Pines, Inc.*. (Significant financial investments: ****$20,000, ***$5,000, **$2,500, *1,000)
“PPL is investing in Workforce Wayne because it supports workforce development which is linked to economic development. We are very pleased with how much Workforce Wayne has accomplished in such a short period of time” noted Paul Canevari, PPL Regional Community Relations Director.
Did you know??
- Pike and Wayne Counties are 2 of 3 counties in the state without a Career and Technology Center (CTC), a vital student and adult workforce training center.
- Most jobs of the future require some post-high school training. Only 12% will require a 4-year degree.
- With a CTC here, up to five times more students could be in career and technical education training compared to now. Our adult population would also be able to train at the CTC.
- By the number employed, retail is the #1 industry for Wayne County and the #2 industry for Pike County.
- 96% of parents in our area want to see a technical or trade school located here.
- More than three quarters of parents in our area would likely encourage their student to attend a Career & Technical Center if it were built to serve Wayne/Pike students.
Workforce Wayne developed in 2008-2009 as a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of business, education, government, economic development, employment services, and community entities in the Wayne and Pike County region that is working toward an effective workforce delivery system through developing career opportunities; strengthening skills in the workforce; and supporting life long learning. Workforce Wayne is a Wall Street West sub-grantee, and this program is funded in part by a Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Recap of 2008-2009
Since Fall 2008, Workforce Wayne’s Director of Workforce Initiatives (Jennifer Porter) and Workforce Coordinator (Lyndsay Birmelin) have been working with local leaders in business, education, government, economic development, employment services, and community entities. Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership Coordinator (Paula Fritz) began connecting formally with Pike County in Q4 2009.
Workforce Wayne achieved its 501(c)(3) non-profit organization status as of March 9, 2009.
As an evolution of the Action Committee which was in place from 2005-2009, the first Workforce Wayne Board of Directors was appointed at the 3rd Annual Meeting in May 2009, including representatives from Wayne and Pike Counties, PA: Dan Card, Waste Management; Greg Celeskey, Wayne County Assistance Office; John Drake, Penn State University; Joann Hudak, Ed.D., Wallenpaupack Area School District; John Keyes, Wayne County CareerLink; Donna LaBar, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce; Clayton LaCoe III, Ed.D., Western Wayne School District; Barbara Linde, Linde Corporation; Anthony Manzione, Woodloch Pines, Inc.; Liz McDonald, Wayne Memorial Hospital; Marie McDonnell, Wayne County Job Training; Diane Puhalla, Lackawanna College – Honesdale; Paul Raetsch, US EDA (retired); Molly Rodgers, Wayne Library Authority; William Schaffer, Northampton Community College; Susan Shaffer, Wall Street West; Brian Smith, Wayne County Commissioner; Robert Suhosky, Cherry Ridge Realty, Inc.; Sam Tallo, Wayne Highlands School District; Jacci West, Wayne-Pike Adult Literacy Program; Mary Beth Wood, WEDCO.
Additional partners in the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership include: Pike County Workforce Development Agency, Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Board, and varied local business entities
Key activities during 2008-2009 include:
Planning and development of a Career & Technical Center (CTC) for Pike and Wayne Counties, PA, two of three counties in the state of Pennsylvania not served by a CTC. The desired model for a Pike/Wayne CTC is high school student career preparation along with adult training and higher education opportunities, as well as business accelerator services.
Facilitation of the Pike/Wayne Business Education Partnership: Working with local school districts to build and promote a K-12 comprehensive career program including Career Cruising, Job shadowing/Internships, Career Linking Academies, and Career Pathways. Support through the Pike/Wayne Business/Education Partnership also for teacher mini grants and video streaming business tours.
Implementation of Community Career & Training Sites to the rural community to provide career exploration, distance learning, and training portals at library sites. Workforce Wayne, with the Wayne County Library Authority (7 branches: Honesdale, Hamlin, Hawley, Newfoundland, Pleasant Mount, Lakewood and Bethany), the Damascus Community Center, the Job Training Office, and the Pike County Public Library (3 branches: Milford, Dingman’s Ferry, and Lackawaxen), is making it easy to access career resources for students and the adult populations.
Community forums with national experts and outreach about the jobs and skills of the 21st century, including a website to connect employers to job seekers: www.workforcewayne.org, featuring a searchable database to link job seekers to employer profiles. Two 2009 community forums with more than 100 attendees at each: Dr. Dan Perna April 22nd; Dr. Bill Daggett November 23rd.
New training in the short-term using existing facilities. Training areas of focus are: nursing, culinary, Marcellus Shale, entrepreneurship, green/weatherization, and financial/management/leadership certificate and degree programming. Developments on this point are quickly expanding. Luzerne County Community College has a new RN program with Wayne Memorial Hospital (first cohort to start Fall 2010). Lackawanna College has announced it will bring its full 23 degree programs to the Hawley Silk Mill location in Fall 2010. In addition to the existing programs, Lackawanna College has stated that a number of new degrees are being considered including Hotel & Restaurant Management, Recreational Management, and even the possibility of a Sales Institute. Johnson College and Luzerne County Community College are looking to offer a variety of certificate programs at Wayne County high schools in Spring 2010.
Additionally, Workforce Wayne secured $40,500 in additional grant funds in the last quarter of 2009 to positively impact the region through business incubator, technology plan, and education consortium studies.
Vision Forward
Workforce Wayne has received significant investments for 2010, but still needs $58,500 for operations. In addition to asking the community for investments, Workforce Wayne is pursuing outside grant and foundation partnerships. If the community can contribute to Workforce Wayne in 2010, the return on investment will be a future of well-trained employees, expanding career & technical education, and a bridge between business and education. To become part of Workforce Wayne, sign onto Workforce Wayne’s Community Compact Agreement at www.workforcewayne.org or call 253-5334.
Workforce Wayne: Working together to build tomorrow’s workforce today
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