Pittsburgh At Night

Mike Langley, former CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, recently gave a “State of the Pittsburgh Region” speech to several hundred business leaders in which he laid out a strategy for the region’s future that suggests energy and the environment will be the keystones of our growth.

Despite the current global economy and fiscal climate, Langley suggests that we see these times of crisis as an opportunity to pool our regional resources and pour the foundation for a prosperous future where local businesses provide the products and services that will be in highest demand across our nation and around the world in the coming years, starting with energy.

We are already an established global presence in the nuclear energy industry thanks to the work and commitment of several companies such as Westinghouse. Their decision to build their new headquarters facility in southwestern Pennsylvania means more than $1 billion in additional business for our region and over 3,000 jobs that didn’t leave. They also plan to create thousands of new jobs in the coming years too.

Some of the world’s most innovative energy and environmental solutions are being established here right now, and we also have many companies who specialize in the products and technologies for cleaner fossil fuel extractions and use, as well as wind turbines and solar power.

Local businesses are working to overcome the technical and cost challenges of clean energy solutions. They’re designing the networks and building the components that will be our nation’s future energy supply and distribution grid.

They’re also leading the way in energy efficient building materials and working to expand the use of natural gas. A cleaner than coal energy solution that can power everything from buildings to transportation, and many believe will be the key transitional resource that bridges the divide between fossil fuels and green energy. Southwestern Pennsylvania sits on the nation’s largest undeveloped reserve of natural gas.

For our region, all of this work in the energy and environmental sectors has a broader reach because it also means economic growth in other areas as well. It will create additional demand for local growth in engineering, information technologies, banking services, medical services, restaurants, hotels and so on; meaning more jobs of all levels and additional opportunities to stay and prosper in our region for the students graduating from our schools. By positioning our region to be the hub from which our nation fuels itself, we will also be fueling our own growth in almost every area.

Some have called Langley’s strategy bold, and perhaps it is given the timing. While private sector leaders in other regions are taking cover from the economic woes and negative public perceptions of the current financial crisis, it’s certainly bold to suggest now be the time business leaders in our region step to the front lines of guiding public policy through grand investment and development, but the plan itself isn’t really bold or even new.

Our region has always played a pivotal role in periods of national prosperity. From modern oil refining to coal and steel. From the birth of modern conservation to the technologies for making fossil fuels a little cleaner. And as we make our way from dirty energy to clean, green solutions, southwestern Pennsylvania is once again uniquely positioned to lead the way; and also provide the primary bridging energy source of natural gas through the transition.

Our region has a long history of innovation that deserves to be honored with pride, and our future is looking bright too.

Image Credit: Image by Rafael Amado Deras from Flickr.com used under the Creative Commons Attribution license

Technorati Tags: economic development, green energy

Help Wanted

I had dinner with my younger brother this evening. I always enjoy getting together with him, he’s one of the most responsible people I know, we engage in heated discussions over politics and he works for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development; an organization devoted to stimulating economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for all here in southwestern Pennsylvania.

I’m not telling you all of this because I think you care about my family ties, but in the interest of full disclosure I want to make clear the connection I have with some of the resources and groups I will mention further on.

During the conversation my brother told me of his day, spent working with Executive Vice President of the Allegheny Conference, Bill Flanagan, and KDKA Radio personality Marty Griffin. They had spent several hours this afternoon doing a live show to talk about the incredible pool of employment opportunities that exist in our region.

I asked how incredible this pool really is, I mean, we are in a recession right now, right?

Over 20,000 Jobs Available Right Now – Over Half of These Paying $40,000+ per Year!

Oh, and Several Thousand Jobs Paying Over 100,000 per Year!

And These Are Just The Positions Which Have Been Listed Online!

That’s right, in the 10 counties that make up the southwestern Pennsylvania region, employers have a huge demand for help and are growing frustrated with the fact that they have to beg for people to come and apply.

That struck me as odd and I thought there must be something I’m not getting behind those numbers. I know people, some educated and some not-so-much, who say they can’t find steady work that pays a decent wage… so how can employers be complaining at the same time that they can’t find people?

The whole thing boggled my mind, so after dinner I jumped online and listened to the 2 hour radio show from KDKA, and sure enough business owners and managers, one after another, called in to the show and complained they couldn’t get people to fill their positions.

Jobs of all kinds from Pizza Delivery Drivers to Skilled Software Engineers are available all across our region.

One employer called in from a Dish Network call center in McKeesport and said he would hire 100 people tomorrow if he could get them. The jobs are full-time answering customer service calls, pay up to $12.50 per hour and come with benefits.

This is a Fortune 300 company in our region with solid entry level jobs, offering paid training, opportunities to advance, and they can’t get people to come in and work. (For anybody interested in this opportunity, their number is 412-675-4473)

It blew my mind! I listened to 2 full hours of employer after employer call in and say the same thing. Our region has plenty of opportunities,and with our aging population the number of opportunities is going to continue rising around here for some time to come.

Just as our region has out performed most of the nation in the Housing Market in recent months, it appears we’re doing just as well (or better) when it comes to employment opportunities.

In fact, during the broadcast Bill Flanagan pointed out that in September-October of 2008, just a few months ago and while the rest of the country was losing jobs left and right, our region set an all-time record for employment. Higher even than during the height of the Steel Industry.

Where we may be lacking is in people who are willing to put their shoulder to the wheel and take control of their own fate.

Of the folks who are applying for many of these jobs it seems many don’t have some of the essentials almost any employer is going to require, like a Driver’s license, the ability to pass a Drug Test and either a High School Diploma or GED.

And for many of the jobs that do require special skills or training, there’s lots of free opportunities to get that as well.

In fact, there are currently thousands of good jobs in the Building and Industrial Trades area that can’t be filled, and there are places like New Century Careers where people can get the training needed at no cost.

To see that the jobs are really out there, you can visit ImagineMyNewJob.com, a free resource from the Allegheny Conference that goes out and finds all of the available online job listings from the 10 regional counties and puts them together in a single place for job seekers.

We Have Good People Who Need Jobs, And Good Jobs Open, What’s The Problem?

Beyond those few people who just never seem to be able to get their acts together, I think there may be a social communications disconnect out there.

Despite being a news junkie and having this deep personal attraction to all things Pittsburgh (it isn’t just a Summer Fling), until this evening I had no idea that a web resource like ImagineMyNewJob.com existed for job seekers. In fact, if I were looking for a job my first stops would probably be the local papers (poor resources that are getting worse) or a national classifieds site like Monster.com because I wouldn’t have known there was something so specific to the region available for me to use.

This shouldn’t imply that local leaders and organizations aren’t doing enough to get the information out there. In fact I think groups and organizations like the Allegheny Conference are doing a heck of a job, but there just seems to be a missing connection between the streams they’re putting the information into and the streams that Johnny Doe is getting his information from on a daily basis.

I think it is a condition of circumstance rather than a failure on anyone’s part. Which is why I thought Marty Griffin’s “Job Fair” broadcast and this piece was so important, especially at this time, to share here.

If you need work, or know somebody who needs work, or work with teens or young adults who need to know that opportunities exist, please share the links and information provided here.

Parent and teachers, especially at the high school level, if you can’t talk all of your children into furthering their education with college, at least give them a fighting chance by informing them of the trades training programs available out there.

These are tough times, and even with all of the opportunities that exist in the region today there may not be something for everyone right now, but there are good jobs for qualified people who are willing to do the work waiting, and training programs to take advantage of for anyone willing to learn a new skill.

Image Credit: Image by sekimura from Flickr.com – used under the Creative Commons Attribution license

Technorati Tags: jobs, pittsburgh, training

Nordstrom at Ross Park Mall

On the heels of our region’s first Nordstrom department store locating in Ross Park Mall, 3 new stores are also moving in with the hopes of capturing the attentions of more upscale shoppers.

Sportswear retailer Lacoste, shoe retailer Johnston & Murphy and designer sunglasses retailer Ilori Boutique are all moving in to the mall soon.

Simon Property Group, which owns Ross Park Mall, is planning to redesign many of the common areas of the mall with new furniture and fixtures to better appeal to the wave of upscale shoppers these stores promise to attract.

This signals good news all the way around for the mall and our region. It brings new jobs and additional tax revenues, as well as indicates that at least some shoppers in Pittsburgh are still willing and able to purchase higher ticket items at a time when other regions are seeing more upscale stores leaving than opening.

Technorati Tags: Ilori Boutique, Johnston and Murphy, Lacoste, Nordstrom, Ross Park Mall