Lawmakers met Thursday to hear from constituents about the challenges rural communities face when it comes to workforce, during a Pennsylvania Senate Republican Policy Committee hearing.
The committee heard from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, as well as from representatives from businesses, local chambers of commerce and local economic and workforce development experts in the Williamsport area during the meeting at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. At issue were population decline, lack of broadband, labor, child care and housing, said committee member Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23).
“The future of work and the workforce across rural Pennsylvania is facing dramatic change,” Yaw said. “As lawmakers, we need to think outside the box to address some of these challenges.”
Witnesses said every community in the state is facing a tight labor market fueled by record low unemployment and record high job openings. Acting L&I Secrtary Nancy Walker said the gap between available workers and open positions is critical in the health care, education, manufacturing, agriculture and construction industries.
“We want to build a well-trained workforce that is responsive to the needs of business and prepared for the jobs of the future,” Walker said. “To do that, we have to see the challenges and confront them deliberately.”
In rural communities, one of those challenges is access to reliable transportation and access to reliable internet service. Kyle Kopko, executive director for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, testified that in rural communities population decline also affects the rural workforce.
Additionally, Shannon Munro, vice president of workforce development at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, said further education of the workforce is necessary to prepare them for the careers of the future.
“Growing Pennsylvania will only occur when businesses, educators, economic developers and stakeholders work together and focus on incremental improvements,” Shannon Munro, said. “Employers grow our economy. We must respond to their needs, which Penn College does by providing a pipeline of graduates in degrees that align with employer needs and offering lifelong training opportunities for incumbent workers.”