Keep Investing in Worker Training
Joseph W. Kaufmann is president and CEO of Kensey Nash Corp. of Exton
There's no doubt — this year presents some of the most challenging budget decisions our legislators have had to make in decades.
It appears there may be no way around significant cuts to important programs, affecting many citizens in southeastern Pennsylvania. This has become a budget about priorities. If we can't avoid cuts, then we need to determine which programs are most critical.
I believe work force development funding should be one of those priorities. However, recent proposals in the state Senate have zeroed out funding for some of Pennsylvania's work force development programs, specifically, Industry Partnerships and incumbent worker training.
These cuts threaten to dismantle a work force system in Chester County that has produced real results for its workers, its businesses and the economy. Pennsylvania's work force development system takes an industry-led, demand-driven approach, connecting training and education programs to the critical needs of industry.
At Kensey Nash Corp., we have benefited from these connections through our membership in multiple Industry Partnerships, including the Southeast Pennsylvania BioScience Industry Partnership and Innovative Technology Action Group (ITAG).
As a developer and manufacturer of medical devices, training and a continued understanding of the latest technologies are critical to our continued success and innovation. Thanks to our involvement in Industry Partnerships, we've been able to leverage training funds through the Industry Partnership reimbursement program and offer employees job-specific training without breaking our budget.
Nearly 115 companies from Chester County count on this money to support training efforts and enable employees to obtain higher skills. In the end, these funds help us run our businesses more efficiently and better prepare for the future.
I can personally attest to the fact that these partnerships work. Industry Partnership training has helped us maintain the skilled work force required by our industry. Kensey Nash has trained just under 200 employees in the past three years and our employee turnover rate is less than 1 percent — feats I attribute to the positive effect of Industry Partnerships. If these funds were to disappear, it would reduce the amount of training we are able to offer our current employees and eliminate critical ties with educators who are training our future work force.
I urge legislators to look closely at the current economic situation, too. Not only does Industry Partnership funding give companies across the state a competitive advantage during the present recession, it also positions Pennsylvania's industries very well for the future economy, once it turns around.
Pennsylvania's innovative and aggressive work force development strategies are helping to position the Commonwealth as a competitive leader in the global marketplace. I urge our legislators to help us remain competitive and maintain funding for Pennsylvania's industry partnerships and incumbent worker training.
(Joseph W. Kaufmann is president and CEO of Kensey Nash Corp. of Exton.)
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/07/23/opinion/srv0000005878759.txt