State Must Invest in Workers
The following appeared in the Centre Daily Times and can be found at http://www.centredaily.com/opinion/story/1386448.html#none
Ramey Womer is manufacturing manager for QBC Diagnostics Inc. and The Drucker Co. in Philipsburg.
There's no doubt that this year presents some of the most challenging budget decisions our legislators have had to make in decades.
There may be no way around significant cuts to important programs for Pennsylvanians, affecting many residents in Centre County. This has become a budget about priorities. If we can’t avoid cuts, we need to determine which programs and services are most critical for Pennsylvanians.
I believe work-force development funding should be one of those priorities. However, recent budget proposals 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 that is thriving in Centre County and has produced real results for its workers, its businesses and the economy.
Pennsylvania’s workforce development system takes an industry- led, demand-driven approach, connecting training and education programs to the critical needs of industry. At QBC Diagnostics Inc. and The Drucker Co., we have benefited from these connections through our membership in the advanced manufacturing industry partnership (AMIP) facilitated by the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corp., the region’s Workforce Investment Board.
Employee training is a critical component in keeping our company competitive. Knowing where to find the best training opportunities and then working those costs into your budget can present challenges. Through the AMIP we have found a mechanism that not only connects us with the training we need, but also with other companies needing the same training and the funding support that allows us to leverage our training budget and maximize the number of employees who can participate.
This partnership not only helps my company, it helps the manufacturing industry as a whole in the central Pennsylvania region.
Our partnership meetings include tours of manufacturing plants that allow us to share ideas, discuss best practices and ultimately help us to improve our production processes.
Today more than 90 companies in the manufacturing industry in central Pennsylvania count on these funds to support training efforts and better enable employees to obtain higher skills. These funds help us run our businesses more efficiently and better prepare for the future.
I ask legislators to look closely at the current economic situation. Not only does industry partnership funding give companies across the state a competitive advantage during this recession, it also positions Pennsylvania’s industries very well for the future economy, once it turns around.
Pennsylvania’s workforce programs have been successful, not just in Centre County, but statewide.
More than 6,300 businesses are involved in industry partnerships across the commonwealth and they have trained more than 70,000 workers since 2005.
Pennsylvania’s innovative and aggressive workforce 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.