Workforce News & Resources
Recap of the AI Horizons Summit event at Bakery Square.
At Partner4Work, we were honored to host Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh for an Age-Inclusive Workplaces Workshop. This workshop underscored the value of creating workplaces that embrace and support employees of all ages, particularly as older adults become the fastest-growing segment of our workforce.
October is Construction Month: Building Inclusive Workplaces
In celebration of Construction Month, the Master Builders' Association of Western PA has released a comprehensive 5-day guide for "Construction Inclusion Week." This free resource is filled with content and training materials designed to help construction teams foster more inclusive environments.
We’re excited to announce the launch of Career Ready Allegheny, a new website developed in partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, the Consortium for Public Education, and Remake Learning. Career Ready Allegheny is a comprehensive platform that unites Allegheny County’s leading experts in education, workforce development, labor market research, and equitable learning practices to better connect schools, students, and employers.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and The White House recently highlighted cybersecurity's critical role in keeping our digital world safe. This month, Deputy National Cyber Director Harry Wingo shares insights on the steps we can all take to protect ourselves online and calls attention to the growing need for cybersecurity professionals.
The White House recently highlighted the critical role cybersecurity plays in keeping our digital world safe.
The German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter’s EV Apprenticeship Program was Featured on KDKA Newsradio. Our CEO, Robert Cherry, joined Larry Richert to discuss the nation’s first EV apprenticeship program—a collaboration with local partners to power Pittsburgh’s clean energy future.
This COVID-19-related policy briefing focuses on key updates from the CARES Act to the unemployment benefits program. This information is largely based on federal guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) on April 2.
On March 27, the U.S. House followed the Senate in passing the third stimulus package this month, which is expected to cost more than $2 trillion. The bill has been signed into law by the President. Read more about the bill and state policy updates.
Source: USA Today
In the second quarter of 2018, approximately 41 percent of all jobs posted online in the Pittsburgh Metro region were considered hard to fill. Between April and June, it took regional employers longer to fill some 26,000 open positions compared to the national average for those same occupations. So, why are employers finding it hard to fill these jobs?
Nationally, more than 20 percent of workers hold an occupational license. Compared to their unlicensed counterparts who work in the same field, licensed workers hold jobs longer, have fewer part-time jobs, and are less likely to be unemployed. Many of the job training programs in which Partner4Work invests are working to ease the burden of obtaining an occupational license for people determined to advance their careers and improve their earnings, but who don’t have access to the opportunity.
Contingent workers comprise about 16 percent of the national workforce, growing by 9 million between 2005 and 2015, according to the latest estimate. It includes independent contractors, those hired through temp agencies, and contract company workers. Economists believe this rise of the contingent workforce is transforming the labor market. Beyond hours worked and wages, it affects a slew of social guarantees associated with the traditional employer/employee relationship.
Data from online job postings in 2017 show that occupations in sales (22,000 job postings); office and administrative support (20,500); healthcare practitioners and technical areas (20,000); computer and mathematical areas (19,000); management (17,200); and transportation (13,900) are in demand in the Pittsburgh metro area. There is a clear demand from businesses to fill open positions in the region. But are there people to fill these jobs?
At 4.9 percent, Pittsburgh’s December 2017 unemployment rate is approaching a level the Federal Reserve considers nearing “full employment.” This follows a trend of low unemployment rates at the state (4.7 percent) and national levels (4.1 percent). A tightening labor market has generated more competition among businesses for workers, with some of the country’s biggest employers offering more attractive benefits packages, according to a recent New York Times article. While these benefit packages typically have been used to attract salaried workers, employers are using them to recruit hourly workers, too.
The National League of Cities announced the six cities that will participate in its Cities for Racial Equity and Racial Healing Technical Assistance Initiative, and Pittsburgh made the list, along with Charlotte, North Carolina; Long Beach, Calif.; Rochester, N.Y.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Wichita, Kan.