Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association applauds House advancement of workforce development legislative package

The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association recently praised the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ advancement of a package of bipartisan legislation, #GoodJobs4PA, which aims to close the workforce gap in Pennsylvania.

“There are more manufacturing jobs available in Pennsylvania than the qualified individuals our state’s education system is currently able to produce,” David N. Taylor, president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, said. “These are good paying, family sustaining, meaningful, collaborative, problem-solving, highly fulfilling jobs. Without a pool of qualified, trainable workers, manufacturers will not be able to meet the demands of their customers, severely restricting Pennsylvania’s economic growth.”

According to the Manufacturing Institute, there were 71,000 manufacturing job openings in 2018. according to the National Association of Manufacturers, there were 6,000 vacant manufacturing jobs in mid-February.

“A next-generation workforce is needed here in Pennsylvania and I commend the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for passing a package of legislation that will begin to fill our growing workforce gap,” Bryan Iams, PPG’s vice president of corporate and government affairs, said.

The Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association noted that while manufacturers will often train or pay for training for new hires, manufacturers in Pennsylvania often struggle to find new hires with the right hard and soft employability skills.

“Better coordination, more flexibility, and enhanced collaboration is needed between Pennsylvania’s education system and Pennsylvania’s employers to expand opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, and other programs that showcase the exciting careers our manufacturers have to offer,” Douglass C. Henry, president and CEO of Henry Molded Products, Inc., said. “That’s exactly what the package of legislation passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives begins to do as we continue [to] tackle the important issue of workforce development in our commonwealth.”