Harrisburg – April 7, 2011 – The Senate Democratic Policy Committee will hold a roundtable discussion on job training issues at the Temple Corporate Learning Center in Philadelphia next week.

“Any legislative effort to stoke our economy and create jobs must include an aggressive job training plan,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), who chairs the committee. “While Senate Democrats have already introduced job training bills, I am eager to get input from Philadelphia region employers, union representatives and workers on how best to train our workers for good jobs today – and tomorrow.”

Boscola said creating jobs and strengthening the state’s economy must be the top legislative priority this year. She said getting people back to work is the key to rebounding from the recession.

“We need to pinpoint what is working, and what is not, and how we can move forward on this important issue for the people we represent,” Boscola said. 

The roundtable discussion will be held in Philadelphia at the request of members from the Philadelphia Senate Legislative Delegation. It will be held on Thursday, April 14 at 11 a.m. at the Temple Corporate and Learning Center, 2450 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia. The public is welcome to attend.

In February, Senate Democrats unveiled a six point legislative plan, called PA Works, which is aimed at invigorating Pennsylvania’s economy and creating jobs.

“The beauty of the Democratic legislative package is that it would create more than 28,000 jobs, while actually saving state taxpayer dollars,” Boscola said.

She said the Democratic plan would leverage $2 billion in private investment to help put people to work, cut business taxes and help small businesses be more competitive, rebuild the state’s aging infrastructure, foster the growth of promising new clean and green energy industries and retool worker training programs.

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For the Philadelphia hearing, Boscola said the committee would focus on job training. Democrats have introduced these PA Works job training bills to date:

  • Consolidate job training programs under a single state agency by creating  an integrated “one-stop” system of workforce investment and education services (Yudichak);
  • Redirect federal resources to create an on-the-job training program, modeled after Georgia Works (Tartaglione);
  • Establish a Shared Work program to relieve the stress on unemployment compensation (UC), modeled from Missouri’s Shared Work program (Tartaglione); and
  • Provide “Green Workforce” training grants. (Kitchen)

In addition to committee members, those expected to take part in the informal roundtable discussion include: Patrick  Eiding, president of the Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO; Pat Merk of the Finishing Trades Institute; Laura Shubilla, president/CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network; Mark Boyd, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries; Everett  Gillison, deputy mayor of public safety; Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers District Council; Liz Robinson, executive director of programs, Energy Coordinating Agency; and Gary Masino, president of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, Philadelphia.