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Workforce development news from Pennsylvania and across the U.S.

State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie offers bill aimed at getting schools, employers together on job-readiness

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From the Reading Eagle

State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Lehigh County Republican who represents part of Berks County, said in a news release last week that he reintroduced legislation he wrote several years ago to help increase awareness among middle and high school students about potential career opportunities in high-demand fields.

Mackenzie said his proposal, House Bill 425, complements Gov. Tom Wolf’s workforce development agenda.

Wolf signed an executive order last week creating a “command center” to coordinate economic and workforce development.

The Keystone Economic Development and Workforce Command Center, created with Wolf’s signature, aims to expand collaboration between state government agenies and the private sector to better address the gap between workers’ skills and employers’ needs.

Mackenzie said his bill would permit trade groups, businesses and institutions of higher learning to partner with middle and high schools to introduce students to career opportunities through career expos, job shadowing, internships and other career-education integration initiatives. The Department of Labor and Industry would oversee the programs under an intiative Mackenzie calls CareerBound.

“For decades, America’s youth were told they needed to go to college and get a degree in order to get a good-paying job,” Mackenzie said in a news release last week. “In reality, many great opportunities exist with high salaries that do not require a four-year degree. The difficulty now is to change the cultural perception of such jobs. We are not talking only about plumbers, welders and carpenters anymore — although there is growing earning potential in those fields. We are also talking about careers in the medical and technology fields, as well as law enforcement, business and finance. And students need to be made aware of these opportunities.”

HB 425, which had 18 co-sponsors last week, is expected to go before the House Labor and Industry Committee for consideration.

 

Minimum Wage, Possible Economic Downturn Loom Over State Budget

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From wesa.fm / Associated Press

Every year after Pennsylvania’s governor makes his budget pitch to the House and Senate, lawmakers hold weeks of budget hearings with state departments and agencies to get a sense of the way money is being spent, and what should change.

They kicked off this week with the Independent Fiscal Office, which is tasked with issuing reports on state finances.

Over the two hours IFO officers sat before the House Appropriations Committee Monday, one subject kept coming up: the minimum wage.

Governor Tom Wolf wants to raise the wage from $7.25 an hour to $12, and then gradually up to $15.  

Fellow Democrats, like House Appropriations Minority Chair Matt Bradford, largely agree.

He called the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum “simply unacceptable,” and a “poverty wage” that is “not commensurate with the dignity that work should come with.”

The majority chair thought the opposite.

“Minimum wage jobs are jobs that you’re only supposed to stay in temporarily, and move on,” Republican Stan Saylor said.

He added, “Minimum wage is not a real job to sustain a family…it is not a place we expect American citizens or Pennsylvania citizens to be sitting at for the rest of their life. And if you are, you’re not being aggressive enough at getting the job training dollars we have out there and moving forward.”

The IFO has estimated that a gradual increase to a $12-an-hour minimum wage would eventually do away with about 30,000 jobs statewide. Director Matthew Knittel said that number would likely be higher if the wage was raised all at once, as Wolf wants to do.

The IFO has also estimated the increase would net the state about $40 million new tax dollars from increased purchasing, and possibly around $90 million more in human services savings.

But despite that potential impact, Knittel said the minimum wage isn’t his biggest concern when it comes to Pennsylvania’s fiscal position.

He told the House Appropriations Committee that even with a strong economy, the state budget is still shaky. And he’s anticipating the economy will enter a downturn within the next year or two.

“My office believes we even have a deficit this year,” Knittel said. “So, if there is a recession next year, I don’t think we’re well-positioned to address it.”

He said the deficit might come from a $200 million appropriation the state wants to make from a medical malpractice insurer, but which is blocked in federal court.

The state’s Rainy-Day Fund currently holds about $23 million. Knittel says it would take about $500 million for him to be confident about weathering a minor downturn.

Saylor said he isn’t expecting any imminent economic weakness. But he said he does want to put more in the Rainy-Day Fund.

The response from Wolf’s office was similar.

“We stand by our estimates,” a spokesman said. “And we are glad to have the IFO’s support for growing the Rainy-Day Fund, which Governor Wolf has been the leading voice for rebuilding after years of depletion.”

STEM, computer science enhancement in Pa. schools gets nearly $10M in grants

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From pennlive.com

Continuing the rollout of his groundbreaking PAsmart initiative, Gov. Tom Wolf announced $9.6 million in PAsmart advancing grants to enhance science and technology education in schools statewide. Combined with PAsmart targeted grants announced last month, the Wolf administration has awarded nearly $20 million this year to bolster STEM and computer science (CS) in schools, according to a news release sent out Monday.

“Workers in all types of jobs increasingly need to use computers and technology,” Wolf said. “In order to meet that demand, I launched PAsmart last year to expand science and technology education.

“These grants will help our schools and communities to expand STEM and computer science education. That will strengthen our workforce, so businesses can grow, and workers have good jobs that can support a family.”

Over the next decade, seven in 10 new jobs in Pennsylvania will require workers to use computers and new technologies.

Projects funded by the PAsmart advancing grants include CS/STEM camps and after-school programs; support for diversity and inclusion on esports teams in high-need areas; STEM programming for pre K-2 students and classrooms; and a mobile fabrication lab where students gain hands-on experience in coding and robotics.

Other projects will develop CS/STEM internships, teacher training programs to increase the number of instructors in CS/STEM, and a Pathways to College program for high school students in the state’s rural northern tier region, the release said.

Wolf previously announced a $442,000 grant to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation to expand its computer science/STEM lending libraries in western Pennsylvania,

“Over the past three years, Pennsylvania has established a strong and innovative culture for computer science and STEM learning across the commonwealth,” Secretary of Education Pedro A. Rivera said. “The advancing grants build on the commitment of the Wolf administration to ensuring that students are college, career, and community ready with they graduate.”

PAsmart advancing grant recipients include:

  • Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 – $478,420           
  • Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science Collaborative – $399,379 
  • Berks County Intermediate Unit – $494,368        
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania – $237,654       
  • Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 – $412,656            
  • Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 (with partner IUs) – $484,689       
  • California University of Pennsylvania – $172,115           
  • Central Susquehanna IU – $500,000       
  • Cranberry Area School District – $361,600         
  • East Allegheny School District – $286,929          
  • Emerald Foundation/Lancaster-Lebanon IU – $499,877 
  • Hopewell Area School District – $500,000           
  • Mansfield University of PA – $277,307    
  • Mercyhurst University – $500,000           
  • Northeastern Educational IU 19 – $500,000        
  • PA SEED Ecosystem – $390,675
  • Penn State New Kensington/ABC CREATE – $328,944 
  • Pennsylvania Highlands Community College – $498,495           
  • Pittsburgh Penguins Foundations – $442,323     
  • Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette, Inc. – $443,078      
  • School District of Philadelphia – $500,000          
  • South Fayette Township School District – $499,613       
  • Spring Cove School District – $500,000  
  • United Way of Mercer County – $327,000

Last month, the Wolf Administration awarded $8.7 million in PAsmart grants to expand computer science classes and teacher training at 765 schools across the commonwealth.

Separate PAsmart grants to increase apprenticeships and job training so students and workers have been announced in northwest, southwest and north central regions of the commonwealth. Additional job training grants will be announced this week.

PA minimum wage hike proposal loudly challenged during first day of budget hearings

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From pennlive.com

Hearings on Gov. Tom Wolf’s $34.1 billion budget plan kicked off Monday with a volley of Republican attacks on the prospect of raising the minimum wage, signaling a tough road ahead for a new proposal the Democrat is backing.

The first House Appropriations Committee budget hearing featured members of the Republican majority repeatedly criticizing the broader impact of a minimum wage increase, including whether it would choke off the supply of entry-level jobs, squeeze small businesses or drive up inflation.

Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia, questioned whether higher minimum wage earners would still earn too little to live without public benefits, but then find themselves no longer eligible for the help.

The first testifier, Matthew Knittel, director of the Legislature’s Independent Fiscal Office, said his agency is working on an analysis of the latest minimum wage proposal that Wolf supports.

Since 2009, Pennsylvania has remained at the $7.25 federal minimum wage level, one of 21 states to do so, and the Republican-controlled Legislature has batted away Wolf’s proposals to raise it since he took office in 2015.

The latest Wolf-backed proposal would take Pennsylvania’s hourly minimum to $12 this year, putting Pennsylvania in line with the highest state minimum wages. Annual 50-cent increases would bring it to $15 an hour in 2025, lifting Pennsylvania into a group of 17 other states that have scheduled annual adjustments written into law.

Lawmakers reach deal on budget to avoid another government shutdown

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From pennlive.com

Congressional negotiators reached agreement to prevent a government shutdown and finance construction of new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, overcoming a late-stage hang-up over immigration enforcement issues that had threatened to scuttle the talks.

Republicans were desperate to avoid another bruising shutdown. They tentatively agreed Monday night to far less money for President Donald Trump’s border wall than the White House’s $5.7 billion wish list, settling for a figure of nearly $1.4 billion, according to congressional aides. The funding measure is through the fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30.

The agreement means 55 miles of new fencing — constructed through existing designs such as metal slats instead of a concrete wall — but far less than the 215 miles the White House demanded in December. The fencing would be built in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.

“With the government being shut down, the specter of another shutdown this close, what brought us back together I thought tonight was we didn’t want that to happen” again, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala.

Details won’t be officially released until Tuesday, but the pact came in time to alleviate any threat of a second partial government shutdown this weekend. Aides revealed the details under condition of anonymity because the agreement is tentative.

Pa. lawmakers react to Trump’s State of the Union address

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From pennlive.com

Pennsylvania’s senators and members of the House delegation offered their reactions to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Following are excerpts from statements issued by the lawmakers.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey

“The President should have pledged tonight ‘no more shutdowns’ and committed to taking additional steps to help the 820,000 federal employees recover from the adverse impact of his government shutdown. He also missed an opportunity to speak to America’s middle class families who are struggling to make ends meet. He could have committed to a substantial tax cut for those families. He could have talked to working parents about a comprehensive agenda for their children – investing in education, safeguarding their healthcare, rebuilding their schools and protecting them from violence.”

A Scranton Democrat, Casey is Pennsylvania’s senior senator and just began his third term.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey

“President Trump also made a reasonable case for enhancing security at our southern border. The obvious, necessary solution to our budget impasse is a compromise that improves border security – including physical barriers where requested by Customs and Border Protection – and delivers on some Democrat priorities, too. I hope Speaker Pelosi will come to the table and finally negotiate in good faith.

“On trade, I continue to believe that the administration is taking us down the wrong path. Tariffs on products imported into the United States are taxes, paid by American consumers, that harm American families and workers.”

A Lehigh County Republican, Toomey is in the midst of his second term in the Senate.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry

“The President outlined his vision for bipartisan leadership on a variety of issues including border security and legal immigration, protecting the American worker, bolstering infrastructure, curbing the cost of healthcare and enhancing our National security. I’m hopeful that Congress will come together in a spirit of cooperation on these issues for the benefit of the American People. The results of the President’s agenda are clear: the economy is booming.”

A Republican, Perry represents the 10th District, which includes Dauphin County and parts of Cumberland and York counties. He just began his fourth term.

U.S. Rep. Madeline Dean

“While the President adopted an uncharacteristically bipartisan tone, his goals – and his behavior – prove the disingenuousness of his words. And what was most striking was what we didn’t hear – a desire to promote education, protect the environment, defend the dignity of labor, combat gun violence, and end the inhumane practice of separating families at the border.”

Republican reactions to Wolf’s budget proposal run the gamut

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From triblive.com

Republican lawmakers’ reactions on Tuesday to Gov. Tom Wolf’s $34.1 billion 2019-20 budget proposal varied from cautious optimism to accusations of fiscal recklessness.

“I thought the governor’s budget address had a positive message and I thought his emphasis on workforce development was significant and a goal that we all have in common,” said State Rep. Lori Mizgorski, R-Allegheny. “I do have concerns with some of his proposals, but I am eager and optimistic to work with my colleagues to build a consensus on a balanced budget.”

In his budget address to a joint session of the Republican-controlled Legislature, Wolf said the most significant element of the $34.1 billion budget plan, his first since winning a second term, is its efforts to help Pennsylvanians compete in a changing economy by bolstering skills and education.

Including nearly $500 million in supplemental cash for the current fiscal year, Wolf is seeking authorization for another $1.9 billion in new spending, a nearly 6 percent increase.

State Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, R-Centre/Clinton, did not believe that was the way to go.

“Rather than offering solutions that lead to the draining of Harrisburg’s swamp or making Pennsylvania great again, today America’s most liberal governor unfortunately focused on continuing his irresponsible spending and fiscally reckless borrowing against future generations,” Borowicz said.

The extra spending would largely go toward public schools, prisons, pension obligations, health care for the poor, mental health services and social services for children, the elderly and disabled. The administration said the plan carries a half-billion dollars in new initiatives.

“While I am pleasantly surprised that the governor talked about limited government and individual responsibility, his plan is still an almost $1 billion increase in spending over the current state budget,” said State Rep. Eric Nelson, R-Hempfield. “We also are facing almost $500 million in overspending from the current approved budget.”

Most Republican legislators had positive thoughts on Wolf’s proposal to invest in programs aimed at improving worker training and the state’s agriculture industry.

“This is something I believe we can all get behind in order to bring in new jobs and create a more vibrant and competitive business climate in Pennsylvania,” said State Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Allegheny/Washington.

State Rep. Jim Struzzi, R-Indiana, was quick to point out that Wolf’s proposal is just the beginning of the process.

“We need to be fiscally responsible with taxpayers’ dollars, while still providing the services and opportunities the residents of our state need to live productive, successful lives,” he said. “As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I look forward to a deeper examination of the details of his proposal and developing a budget that actually works for the people of Pennsylvania.”

For more on the governor’s proposal, see Budget.PA.gov . At the top, watch Wolf’s budget address.

Gov. Wolf’s 2019-20 budget plan: Winners and losers

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From pennlive.com

Gov. Tom Wolf introduced his 2019-20 state budget in a joint address before the General Assembly today.

Here are the winners and losers in the $34 billion plan. Follow the links for more details in specific areas, such as schools, business and state police.

Schools: Public schools see a big boost in aid under Wolf’s budget. There’s also a healthy increase for special education programs.

Colleges: The State System of Higher Education sees a slight uptick, but funding is flat for Penn State and the other “state-related” universities. On the upside, Wolf calls for more money for a grant program to help families pay for college.

State police: The governor wants to boost funding for state troopers. But Wolf is calling for a fee on towns that rely on state police.

Taxes: There’s no increase in the state’s sales tax or income tax in the governor’s plan.

Health care: Many health-related programs would get a slight boost in state aid. The plan offers more for long-term living services, programs to serve those with disabilities and efforts to aid those struggling with substance abuse.

Business: Companies are likely to cheer initiatives to bolster the state’s workforce and help workers prepare for jobs. But business leaders have already come out against Wolf’s plan to raise the minimum wage.

Environment: Programs designed to protect the environment will be asked to rely on money that may not materialize.

State workforce: There are no layoffs of any state workers in the governor’s budget.

Legislature: There’s a slight cut in funds for the General Assembly.

Libraries: The state’s libraries get flat funding, which is not good news for community libraries. Pennsylvania’s libraries get much less in state aid than they did in 2001.

Museums: The state’s museum commission would get a small boost in Wolf’s budget.

Harrisburg: The budget includes money for fire protection in the capital city.

Other takeaways: Here’s a concise look at highlights in the budget.

Deeper dives

The pragmatic governor: PennLive’s Charles Thompson looks at the practical approach Wolf employed in his first budget of his second term and why some Republican lawmakers offered praise for the governor.

Teacher pay: PennLive’s Jan Murphy examines the governor’s proposal to raise the starting salary for teachers in public schools.

See for yourself.

Text: Here’s the prepared text of the governor’s budget address.

The full budget: Here’s a link to the entire 2019-20 budget proposal. Note: It’s nearly 900 pages! Here’s a shorter list of the administration’s proposed line-item appropriations (9 pages).

Governor Wolf announces plans to “Restore PA”

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From pahomepage.com

The governor stopped by the Luzerne County Emergency Management building to meet with local officials. The I-Team’s Andy Mehalshick was there..

Surrounded by state, county and local leaders at the Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency, Governor Tom Wolf called for action on a severance tax he says is long overdue.

  “If you did it that would generate about $300 million dollars a year. If you monetize it.  That means bond it. You can turn that into $4.5 billion dollars.”

The money wouldn’t come directly from taxpayers – rather those in the coal, oil and natural gas industries. It’s money Wolf says can be used to reduce the threat of flooding.  Something the folks in this room know all too well. Many of their communities have been devastated by flooding time and time again.

  “‘Restore Pennsylvania’ would provide funding for flood prevention and not just going out to say you’ve been devastated by this, you have problems, but how do we mitigate this? How do we prevent this flooding from happening?” The Governor Asked.

 The plan would also create a financial trust fund for those hurt by flooding, but don’t qualify for federal disaster assistance. But the Governor knows convincing state lawmakers to approve the tax. Will be a hurdle he has not been able to jump. In each of the last two years, the Republican-controlled legislatures have rejected the idea of a severance tax, saying it will hurt natural resource development in the commonwealth.

West Pittston has been hard hit in recent years by flooding. It’s Mayor Tom Blaskiewicz says something has to be done to help residents and supports Wolf’s plan   “I know the residents in West Pittston would really applaud what the Governor is doing here in Luzerne County. It’s great news.”

Wolf seeks $4.5B capital program paid by Marcellus Shale tax

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From pennlive.com

Gov. Tom Wolf has said he will ask Pennsylvania lawmakers to approve a severance tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production to finance a multibillion-dollar capital plan for a wide range of projects, from controlling floodwaters to fighting blight.

Wolf, a Democrat, is kicking off his second term by floating a Marcellus Shale tax for a fifth straight year.

This time, he is packaging it with a proposal to use the money to pay down at least $4.5 billion in bonds for projects that might entice lawmakers in the nation’s No. 2 natural-gas producing state.

The projects would span rural areas and downtowns, and tie together a range of perceived needs, such as economic development and environmental improvements.

In a news conference in his Capitol offices, Wolf said he envisioned awarding the money over four years — although spending it might take longer — and paying it down over 20 years, or less. The administration had no immediate estimates of how much, with interest, the borrowing might cost.

Approval will be up to the Republican-controlled Legislature, which has thus far rejected Wolf’s overtures for a natural gas tax.

Wolf’s severance tax proposal is based on volume, and floats with the price of natural gas. It would take effect next year, and apply to wells that are covered by the impact fee.\

Read more.