[2026] PA Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing with the PA Labor & Industry Department and the PA Community & Economic Development Department.
00:00 - I.
00:00 - Like to welcome you all to the
00:02 - senate appropriations committee budget hearings on governor shapiro's
00:05 - twenty six twenty seven
00:07 - budget proposal.
00:09 - May I ask that
00:10 - each of you
00:11 - actually I'm sorry I'm going to backup today
00:13 - with us today
00:14 - are representatives from the department of labor and industry and department of
00:17 - community and economic development
00:18 - to discuss the commonwealth's workforce development and job training programs that
00:23 - are administered by the departments in attendance from
00:25 - labor and industry we have Nancy Walker secretary.
00:29 - Patricia blumenauer
00:31 - I say that right
00:32 - deputy secretary of workforce development
00:34 - Ryan Hyde executive director of ovi are
00:37 - Christopher hallock deputy secretary of safety and labor management relations
00:42 - from d c d we have Rick's uyghur secretary
00:44 - Mike Hanna executive deputy secretary
00:47 - and now may I ask each of you to please stand and raise your right ha to be sworn in.
00:53 - Do you swear that the testimony you're about to gives the truth the whole truth and
00:56 - nothing but the truth so help you god and if so indicate by saying I do.
00:59 - Thank you very much.
01:02 - Okay well I'm going to start off with some questions this morning
01:05 - before turning it over to our standing committee chairs and our members
01:08 - and secretaries can you please identify for us which
01:12 - programs or budget items within your department
01:14 - you would consider falling within
01:17 - the workforce development and job training category.
01:25 - Password
01:26 - or a three point five million dollar increased
01:28 - investment in our schools to work program
01:31 - at three point five million dollar investment in our
01:33 - industry partnerships and we're also asking for another then
01:38 - another one million dollars for our office of vocational
01:40 - rehabilitation those are the increases from last year.
01:46 - Those are the worst for me
01:47 - correct yeah for us there's three programs that are focused and workforce and then
01:52 - a fourth program I'll touch on because it
01:54 - takes into account workforce training is an eligible cost
01:57 - so number one we have wedding at pa
01:59 - which is like a twenty five year old highly
02:01 - successful on the job training program or companies
02:04 - get sort of like a per head count stipend
02:07 - that they can spend a twenty two quad fide workforce providers across Pennsylvania
02:10 - community colleges passionate schools and others.
02:13 - We are asking for two things this year in the budget around wedding at one is a
02:17 - slight increase to twelve point five million
02:19 - another is actually to break it out as it's own light
02:21 - item which is an administrative point but I think
02:24 - increases transparency and clarity about where it is as you know centre in the past.
02:29 - It's sort of a nested inside the pa first line.
02:32 - Number two we have foundations and industry training
02:34 - historically a three million dollar line item focused on funding
02:38 - outstanding apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs
02:40 - in this line we're asking for an additional two million dollars for
02:44 - a new initiative we've talked about actually in this hearing before
02:47 - called career connect
02:48 - where we try to use experiential education and internships
02:52 - and a coalition of
02:54 - universities and workforce providers and companies
02:56 - to keep Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania right
02:58 - like to drive and work hard on this issue of
03:01 - keeping folks here from our universities and and folks who live here
03:05 - and then third we have a manufacturing training to career program
03:08 - this really has two parts there's an outreach piece
03:11 - things like what's so cool about many factoring or
03:13 - like in encouraging middle school and high school kids
03:15 - to get excited about manufacturing and a training piece
03:18 - that's four point seven million dollars
03:20 - so those are the only three like workforce specific programs we have in our.
03:25 - Budget
03:26 - I will say rpf first program which is like our core job incentivizing program
03:31 - like
03:32 - company
03:33 - commits to one hundred jobs one hundred million in cap backs and we do a Grant of a
03:35 - million dollars more than likely that's coming out of pa first.
03:39 - Workforce training is an eligible cost
03:41 - so a company could use those funds to buy a piece of equipment they could use it to
03:44 - build a wall they could also so use it
03:46 - to train employees to what's not like a workforce training program per se
03:49 - we like to keep it flexible and of course training is
03:52 - really really important the company's really really important to us
03:54 - so it's an eligible costs in the program.
04:00 - In terms of
04:00 - what would be your definition of a successful workforce development and job training
04:04 - program are there certain metrics
04:07 - that you track for each of the programs that
04:09 - help you to identify which programs are working
04:11 - and which ones may need to be refined or adjusted to better serve Pennsylvania.
04:17 - Yeah maybe I'll start just because I
04:18 - got the Mike here and.
04:20 - I think there's a couple of things that are important and actually this is somewhere
04:23 - where we've made some real recent progress.
04:26 - Number one
04:27 - maybe first and foremost are the people that are getting trained for these jobs
04:31 - getting jobs and staying in the jobs
04:33 - like in wedding at pa for example
04:35 - like persistence in a job
04:37 - at one year three or do you keep the job.
04:39 - Number two frankly do those companies succeed I think
04:42 - the macro economic indicators of a region like our
04:45 - company's growing and succeeding is unemployment
04:47 - low his labor participation rate higher.
04:51 - Are the kinds of things we think about
04:52 - and a broad level
04:54 - but ultimately I think the metrics here are pretty.
04:57 - Straw forward
04:58 - like our do the people we train have the skills they need to succeed and do they
05:02 - succeed in the medium and long-term
05:04 - sector
05:04 - so very very similar so for us we also look to see what's necessary in an area so we
05:10 - want to talk to our local boards who want to make sure
05:12 - that we're looking at our data points we want to see
05:14 - where we can do the most good with dollars so our pros grants are everything from
05:18 - vocational rehabilitation where we're trying
05:19 - to get individuals with disabilities into.
05:23 - Successful career pathways and and hopefully.
05:26 - Jobs that they can have with with or without support from our agency once they are
05:29 - trained and in jobs that they can maintain
05:32 - we also have our schools to work program which is looking at ways that we can
05:36 - work with high schools and high school age
05:39 - students to make sure that they are getting trained
05:42 - and getting opportunities to explore business opportunities when they graduate who
05:46 - some of those programs have dual enrollment for example said there are a couple of
05:50 - interest college credits that attach for folks that want to go to college
05:53 - they have industry-recognized credentials so they can
05:56 - roll right into jobs if that's what they choose to do
05:58 - we also have industry partnerships where we work again with the data points and the
06:02 - needs of collective businesses in a sector in communities across Pennsylvania
06:07 - so that they can attack they can address things like
06:10 - credentialing
06:11 - retention attraction those kinds of programs
06:14 - and then are most I and I did mentioned this earlier because we're not looking for an
06:17 - a increased but our apprenticeship program
06:19 - is probably one of our most successful programs so we can
06:22 - really find ways to make businesses successful in a train
06:25 - in attracting and retaining talent so that's it
06:28 - as for those of you that
06:29 - are familiar with the apprenticeship programs
06:31 - they are programs that people get paid while they
06:34 - learn so while they they earn while they learn
06:36 - and then they can roll into jobs with industry recognized credentials
06:39 - and what's so great about that is that people don't have to leave jobs to go to
06:43 - college or go to a training program they actually get paid while they
06:47 - proceed through their training programs.
06:49 - So obviously it's no secret
06:51 - a big topic of concern
06:54 - across the commonwealth is are shifting demographics
06:57 - obviously for eg rapids early in the
06:59 - in the number of our future workforce your kids coming out of our k through twelve
07:02 - pipeline continues to shrink drastically and something
07:05 - we really need to focus on turning around and
07:08 - yesterday we had a really good conversation with
07:10 - some of our post secondary education higher education
07:13 - folks in terms of how we do things we've actually created programs like grow pa which
07:18 - actually get a commitment in return that if
07:20 - we're going to get
07:22 - you to invest in you and a certain type of man
07:25 - occupation
07:26 - we want you to invest in us by agreeing to work
07:29 - in that high demand field and live in Pennsylvania
07:32 - so my
07:33 - my question based on what you talked about in terms of these programs
07:36 - and obviously you
07:38 - people who participate
07:39 - do we have any type of
07:41 - requirements with individuals when they seek your assistance
07:44 - and you're using obviously taxpayer resources to invest in them
07:49 - that we get a commitment
07:50 - on the on the back end to work in that field we just spent
07:54 - x number of dollars in training you in
07:56 - but also to do it in pa
07:59 - has that been something that
08:00 - either departments have been doing
08:02 - can do
08:03 - or is it constrained by federal requirements I I
08:06 - I don't know but I just pose that question
08:08 - so for us we tried to find out what the needs of the community is so for example I
08:12 - was at susquehanna township school district on Monday and we announced our schools to
08:16 - work program and they were a recipient
08:18 - they actually have a pro program that is a dual enrollment so you get college credits
08:21 - as well as credentialing while you're in the program and these kids are actually
08:26 - student teaching in their district
08:28 - and then the district supports them if they're going
08:30 - onto school as part of an apprenticeship program
08:32 - so what they're really doing is they are
08:34 - successor planning in their own school district so
08:36 - we tried to support programs and again once you have internships and externships and
08:40 - things like that built into work training programs
08:43 - you're already connecting the worker with the employers so assuming all goes well
08:46 - you are literally putting people into those jobs and that's certainly what we do with
08:50 - with ovi are and what we tried to do with
08:52 - our schools to work program
08:53 - and that is in fact the nature of the apprenticeship program so you are literally
08:56 - working for an employer to to end an episode tion there so
09:00 - we don't have the kind of
09:01 - ties to the dollars but the dollars are being spent very intentionally to make sure
09:05 - that we're putting people into open positions with employers
09:08 - that directly meet their training and skills requirements
09:11 - for those jobs.
09:12 - Yeah I'd actually than two ways one with respect to like our program addicts
09:16 - and
09:17 - when we do a Grant to a company
09:19 - for for an expansion or retention project
09:22 - we typically ask them to commit to
09:24 - retaining those jobs and deploying that capital
09:27 - for an eight year period and will monitor those funds
09:30 - and in the case of peer first
09:32 - for example
09:33 - if you don't
09:34 - perform will actually claw back a proportional amount of the funds based on your
09:38 - performance so if you said you're going to
09:39 - create one hundred jobs increase seventy five
09:41 - will claw back some proportional about.
09:43 - That I think has a
09:45 - impact of keeping those jobs in Pennsylvania
09:48 - with respect to our specific
09:50 - job training programs like on a person by person basis I'd echo really what the
09:55 - secretary says if we do a Grant to
09:57 - an apprenticeship program at a local
09:59 - pipefitters union
10:01 - and
10:02 - our goal is obviously to keep every single person
10:04 - who benefits from that Grant in Pennsylvania
10:07 - but actually like the the way we do that it's more like on
10:08 - the front end vetting of the Grant proposal and I think.
10:12 - That I think would be is.
10:14 - The smartest way to do it given that the difficulty of
10:17 - assessing each individual kind of download.
10:20 - I would say further programatic so that's sort
10:22 - of like how we administer current programs
10:24 - on the kind of
10:25 - look forward
10:26 - I fully agree with you
10:27 - actually in
10:28 - our economic drama playing which we put out two years ago in which many of you have
10:32 - have had significant input into and
10:34 - we've been
10:35 - driving relentlessly to.
10:37 - Move forward these last two and a half years.
10:40 - Key Pennsylvania is in Pennsylvania is like one of the key strategies
10:43 - and we do that in a bunch of ways I would just highlight again this.
10:46 - Career connect idea we have this year it's only
10:48 - two million dollars it's a small plus up to this
10:51 - foundations and industry line item which is part of our workforce programs which is
10:55 - not designed to like pay individuals to get internships but it's actually designed to
11:00 - pay the dollars in the middle of the table
11:02 - bring together a coalition of
11:04 - companies and universities and
11:07 - others
11:08 - who are interested in this problem to sort of make commitments and drive it forward.
11:12 - I'm excited about this idea other states have done this with some success there's
11:15 - actually a program center you may be interested looking at called
11:18 - internships be a Virginia does something like this that's had some success.
11:22 - We're excited to try to get this done would would love to have your support
11:26 - to move it for because it's really like.
11:28 - In a perfect world we would see this in the government
11:31 - we would sort of catalyze this effort among industry and universities
11:35 - and frankly
11:36 - we'd like spin it out it can become like an independent
11:38 - nonprofit to really drive this effort forward
11:40 - to keep Pennsylvania in Pennsylvania that's one idea we've had
11:43 - can based on benchmarking
11:45 - based on research that shows us that.
11:48 - Internships job job opportunities experiential learning opportunities
11:51 - create like stickiness with people in the community
11:53 - whether you're a student that goes to pit from new Jersey
11:56 - who stays in Pittsburgh
11:57 - or whether you're a pennsylvanian who goes to
11:59 - school somewhere else and wants to come back
12:01 - these kind of
12:02 - experiential and particularly job based
12:05 - interventions have
12:06 - proven to be really effective.
12:08 - The more we can keep always in the back of our mind that end goal of keeping our
12:13 - our our future workforce here
12:15 - are current workforce here
12:16 - and more importantly we also got to figure out how to grow.
12:20 - A lot of states are doing to us in terms of poaching our or
12:23 - our future away
12:24 - shifting gears a little bit obviously I'm sure
12:27 - you've heard of tech central
12:29 - and
12:30 - for four years we provided funding for the tech central workforce network which is
12:34 - the provider of primary provider bilingual education and skills training
12:38 - the success of this program has been tremendous expanding into regional workforce
12:42 - into a regional workforce system now
12:44 - that reaches communities across the commonwealth and
12:48 - why always find amazing about this neighborhood based program is that
12:51 - people actively go to it because they want to move
12:55 - out of their
12:56 - existing situation they want to move up the economic ladder and
13:00 - I think
13:01 - when talk about folks who are unemployed or underemployed
13:04 - the sheer fact that they're taking that initiative
13:06 - is something we should take advantage of
13:08 - so what started as one workforce center in
13:10 - Lancaster is launched now across eight counties
13:13 - serving communities in berks dauphin Lancaster Lebanon York
13:17 - and new for this year serving Chester.
13:20 - Loses earn
13:21 - and now Philadelphia.
13:24 - Which will be the first time as they venture outside of the third class city side so
13:29 - obviously they are finding something
13:31 - special with addressing language barrier
13:34 - and what are the critical needs in that immediate community
13:38 - and a lot of these folks because there's partnerships with local industry on their
13:42 - board and whatnot they're walking in the family st staining jobs which is
13:46 - obviously a great
13:47 - thing
13:48 - and would you agree that this program from what you've.
13:51 - Experienced has been beneficial to the communities I do agree in and you've races of
13:56 - course in past hearings and and I visited tech centro in reading myself and
14:01 - it is a great program great folks I I
14:04 - basically
14:04 - with everything you said I think they have.
14:06 - Created a model that is effective for
14:09 - in particular serving the communities they serve.
14:12 - It now.
14:13 - Obviously I do bring this up every year because we've seen how this grow and we see
14:17 - the demand as a replicated across across the pa
14:20 - it's been successful
14:21 - can you
14:22 - again you know I've asked this of you prior
14:24 - can you speak to why the governor continues to remove funding for this program from
14:29 - his budget proposals year after year
14:31 - with the success
14:33 - that this is shown
14:34 - with the number of folks who work in different departments
14:37 - the administration have come and witnessed at first and
14:41 - why is this used as a bargaining chip somehow.
14:45 - Compared to many other pro existing workforce programs which will be.
14:50 - Continued in the budget do we have an answer for
14:51 - that because obviously we've had great success
14:54 - with this program in a very bipartisan fashion yeah I guess I'd say two things one.
15:00 - You know this line the workforce initiatives line in our budget is typically.
15:04 - Agreed to among the Cox's in the governor's
15:06 - office later in the process as you point out.
15:09 - A number two I would say.
15:12 - I actually want to and in preparation for this question we are talking about x I I
15:15 - had a hunch he might raise it again
15:17 - and
15:18 - you know I think we should also engage tech central directly on.
15:23 - Accessing additional competitive funding streams right
15:25 - like like all those workforce programs I just talked about
15:28 - you
15:28 - could
15:29 - do tech central could
15:30 - benefit from in addition to other
15:32 - we have er secretary Walker has and so.
15:35 - I think
15:36 - would welcome a conversation about accessing competitive funding
15:39 - in addition to the conversation that
15:41 - I know you'll have with with colleagues on on this
15:44 - line item in the future while I appreciate hearing
15:46 - and and
15:47 - and I know you guys have been there and I've seen it
15:51 - I know it can be very demoralizing when you think they're doing the right thing and
15:55 - in terms of their planning process because every year we have more communities from pa
15:59 - coming to want to
16:01 - replicate what's being done here and
16:04 - there's a lot of uncertainty
16:05 - because you never know at the end of the day through
16:07 - you know a messy negotiation or budget process
16:11 - yeah where do you end up
16:12 - and
16:13 - listen I'm very proud to have worked with
16:16 - you know
16:17 - that whole team with tech central but it's not a Scott Martin program it's not a
16:21 - republican program it's a republican that serves
16:23 - and actually I would make government actually serves the big fan of it
16:26 - and a lot of areas that aren't represented by Republicans
16:29 - I just think it's a good program for the citizens
16:32 - of of Pennsylvania and is making a real difference
16:34 - in anything we can do to give them some certainty
16:37 - as they were looking to expand because I think they're kind of holding even back with
16:41 - other communities that are reaching out
16:43 - and that could really benefit from that
16:45 - so
16:46 - I just had to get that on the record and I guess
16:48 - I know you knew I'd bring it up yesterday.
16:51 - Switching gears
16:53 - it's going to be shocked I want to talk about grow pa
16:55 - and
16:56 - can you please provide us with the details on how both of your departments were
16:59 - collaboratively with department of education to coordinate programs across agencies
17:04 - so we regularly meet with the department of education on many of our programs
17:09 - certainly as part of the state board of higher education we also meet
17:12 - we also having conversations about how
17:15 - we can work with colleges and community colleges
17:17 - across Pennsylvania to tie them to workforce needs
17:19 - and recently we've
17:21 - been working with them on workforce pal
17:24 - but we meet regularly with
17:25 - with many of our agencies to make sure that we're taking advantage of their expertise
17:29 - when we do Grant awards that need to address something in agriculture we certainly
17:33 - meet with the department of agriculture
17:35 - when we're looking to beef up our programs in schools we work with pd
17:40 - so we're close partners and we consider the
17:41 - other agencies as our subject matter experts.
17:45 - Yeah I would I would say like macro and a micro
17:48 - on the macro
17:49 - and you don't get in our economic development plan we talked about.
17:54 - Rethinking
17:55 - the higher education ecosystem of Pennsylvania
17:58 - to better serve our workforce development needs and our economic development needs
18:03 - the governor's
18:03 - leadership in the state board
18:05 - of higher education
18:06 - the way that we've engaged with Steve related
18:08 - and others you know pitt and penn state I think.
18:11 - Is on a path to making that.
18:14 - Much more.
18:16 - Effective in close partnership so at the macro level.
18:20 - Strategically let's say.
18:22 - We engage frequently
18:23 - with secretary Robert also with catch on others to try to.
18:27 - Make sure they have context in where we believe the
18:30 - economy is going and vice versa we have context in
18:33 - the kinds of students that they're seeing and
18:34 - moving forward
18:35 - on the micro I think maybe it's best to
18:38 - articulate this as like a specific example.
18:41 - Which is.
18:43 - As folks
18:44 - probably know Eli Lilly.
18:46 - Has.
18:47 - Commit to invest three point five billion dollars
18:49 - and create eight hundred fifty jobs in lehigh county
18:51 - a project which we're very proud to have won which we competed for for like nineteen
18:55 - months actually is a very long and detailed process to
18:58 - to win one of these megaprojects in Pennsylvania.
19:01 - The kind of project I would honestly say we we were not in a position to win maybe
19:03 - the first time I sat in front of you two or three years ago.
19:07 - A really really important part of that
19:09 - is the workforce solution that we brought forward
19:11 - which is really bespoke and specific to Lily so
19:14 - we work very closely with
19:17 - the department of education and in particular with community colleges.
19:20 - In this case
19:21 - lehigh carbon cooney college
19:23 - El tri c I believe as it's called in lehigh valley
19:26 - and Montgomery gimme college and by the way a community college in north Carolina
19:30 - who Lily had worked with called wake tech who had developed
19:32 - like accustomed training program that Lily really liked
19:35 - we took lessons from Montgomery county community college which.
19:39 - Of course has really significant life science programming based on the
19:44 - pharma.
19:45 - Centres of excellence
19:46 - in southeast Philadelphia.
19:48 - We took lessons from north Carolina we worked
19:50 - with Lily to develop like a very specific proposal
19:53 - we resources with a five million dollar capital Grant
19:56 - to.
19:57 - Get Lilly done
19:59 - in Pennsylvania
20:00 - so that kind of like very hands-on very tactical
20:02 - coordination with in this case musicologist part of
20:04 - the department education we think is making us much more
20:08 - competitive and by the way and
20:10 - that's
20:11 - that same level of
20:12 - communication collaboration exists on a project basis with
20:15 - colleagues at labor and industry
20:17 - and
20:18 - that kind of like
20:19 - what I would call bis spoke and specific solution based
20:22 - work especially for these large scale projects.
20:25 - Has proved to be a real game changer and I think it it shows
20:29 - the kind of collaboration that we've been able to
20:30 - foster between these agencies were maybe in the past
20:33 - that that had not been a hallmark would save of the way we did business
20:36 - what we're very pleased because obviously if we you know the sticking with the goal
20:40 - keep our young people here
20:42 - we get them in the family sustaining jobs
20:44 - and
20:45 - to see that we hadn't just your one eleven thousand young people.
20:49 - Seek to make that commitment
20:51 - to Pennsylvania and obviously with the first round of funding we we
20:54 - we couldn't accommodate all of them
20:56 - and the second round is obviously open again right now to just open here in
21:00 - February but
21:01 - to see that the top five programs of study kids
21:03 - are committing to rather registered nursing
21:06 - early childhood education and teaching
21:09 - business administration and management biology and biological science and accounting
21:14 - and of course
21:16 - below that are things like agriculture community
21:19 - computer science engineering ally health criminal justice
21:22 - so we're seeing the kids take the things that we're hearing the most from our
21:25 - employers and industry out throughout the commonwealth have what they need so
21:29 - and I know you both will play a role when
21:31 - we go through the revaluation process
21:34 - you know if we have a good few years of a good run of nurses let's say
21:38 - but we realize we're really slipping in terms of meeting welders and folks in the
21:42 - trades whatever might be that we can
21:45 - shift the focus of what that definition is so
21:48 - I appreciate coordinate hopefully we're going to
21:49 - keep growing that program and get that commitment
21:51 - and again another example of one that has
21:54 - the the investment not only coming from us
21:57 - but then from them as well in terms of
21:58 - commitment the pa so that that's a good thing ng.
22:02 - My last topic before I turned it over to member questions and.
22:06 - Apprenticeship workshops I know I think DC d I think you changed the name of it to
22:11 - what foundations of industry of late and you have an apprenticeship training
22:16 - can
22:16 - you.
22:18 - Obviously with our current budget situation we're always looking at are are we
22:21 - duplicating in any fashion so you can you.
22:24 - Tell the
22:25 - committee
22:26 - what the role of each is
22:28 - or more importantly
22:30 - how do they
22:30 - differ because on the surface
22:33 - it would seem like we have two apprenticeship
22:34 - workshops just sitting in two separate agencies I
22:37 - think we
22:37 - out native ne games for divisions in our
22:39 - agencies but what we do is we have to separate
22:42 - our
22:42 - set of our approach are parallel and complementary so at the department of labor and
22:46 - industry specifically with respect to punish parents
22:49 - we build those private unsightly help
22:52 - we help sponsors we help interested parties design programs and we help them to
22:56 - become registered once they get registered
22:59 - we help them with technical assistance navigate thrill when there's Grant money out
23:03 - we make sure that we are administering the grants carefully that we're making sure
23:07 - that they have the the benchmark successes
23:09 - that money's being spent appropriately it's not
23:11 - bring it back we stopped the programs
23:13 - but we really create the foundations for apprenticeship programs across the state
23:17 - again data driven we have our center for workforce
23:19 - information analysis of labor and industry
23:22 - very intentional to your point where there are nursing
23:24 - needs we make sure we have nursing programs here
23:26 - whether it's farming needs make sure we have
23:28 - agricultural programs
23:30 - and then dcd and all at risk speak to the details of this program
23:33 - but they pay for.
23:35 - They they pay for helping to grow those programs they are already registered
23:38 - already being monitored by the department of labor and industry.
23:42 - Yeah I think that's right so I would think about
23:43 - it like think of us as like a force multiplier
23:46 - in this foundations and industry program the
23:48 - existing three not including this two we've
23:49 - talked about career connect where we're proposing.
23:53 - We only fund like you have to be a registered apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship to
23:57 - apply
23:58 - and when you do apply
23:59 - we coordinate with
24:01 - colleagues both centrally at
24:02 - labor and energy but also like regionally maybe more importantly
24:05 - to assess where these dollars should go
24:08 - to solve a very particular need
24:09 - so.
24:10 - You know I think that the program Max is two hundred
24:12 - or two for if decisions like relatively modest grants
24:15 - to help solve like particular problems and be
24:17 - really like a force multiplier thing for what
24:20 - secretary Walker leads
24:21 - and
24:22 - so we're.
24:23 - I would say complimentary as that is the right word here we're not we're not
24:26 - reinventing the wheel we're not creating new
24:27 - apprenticeships or something like this we're really helping
24:30 - these existing programs that want to apply for this funding
24:33 - to.
24:33 - So for what I'm hearing you're the programmatic side.
24:36 - You're getting the input from industry perhaps
24:40 - of where certain areas need to be bolstered
24:43 - and then you're bolstering
24:45 - certain
24:46 - you know you give the resources to bolster certain programs
24:50 - in Illinois that.
24:52 - Basically that's right I mean so Sony
24:53 - to be concrete about it
24:55 - and
24:56 - let's say Elena has an apprenticeship in welding
24:59 - and
25:00 - and the organization that runs that apprenticeship let's say a local union
25:05 - and.
25:07 - Applies for our funds because they have a
25:08 - particular problem they're trying to solve like.
25:11 - There's a big growth in welding demand in north these Pennsylvania where we serve
25:16 - we would evaluate their
25:17 - application for those funds
25:19 - based on our context from both industry
25:21 - and the economy in that region and
25:23 - in close partnership with Elena to decide whether
25:26 - to deploy those funds to to help solve this problem so it
25:28 - is a competitive program where like people apply for it
25:31 - but we're informed by
25:32 - companies in the economy who of course we're talking to every day
25:36 - and you know we make sure we're fully aligned with
25:37 - sort of Elena as goals here it's sort of like a.
25:41 - I like this program because
25:43 - it doubles down in a place where.
25:46 - We win like I think a lot of states
25:48 - create apprenticeships
25:49 - right and actually we've created.
25:51 - Nancy should talk about this but you know many
25:53 - many more apprenticeships since shapiro has taken
25:55 - taken office but
25:56 - and just sort of like let people go do the work.
25:59 - In these targeted domains we have this three million
26:02 - dollars modest but impactful like two hundred thousand a pop
26:04 - to help or or less
26:06 - to help.
26:07 - Know targeted places grow and and over time you know
26:10 - there's a a pipeline of applications over many years that you can really have some
26:14 - significant impact even even at that two hundred thousand dollar little
26:17 - is that a is this something in terms of budget
26:19 - preparation that you guys coordinate ahead of time
26:22 - and know what you want to ask for for different line items
26:25 - to do be that for
26:26 - multiplier
26:27 - or is this something that's just ever ongoing you have a pot of money
26:31 - and
26:32 - throughout the year if you're approached about
26:34 - having to bolster something because you've been approached about it
26:37 - do you is that when you do the influx I'm just trying to
26:41 - maybe I'll answer that quickly
26:42 - so so.
26:44 - We're constantly looking at
26:46 - all of our HP programs I think we have on the books
26:48 - one hundred and ninety six eighty eight of them are
26:50 - currently active
26:51 - so to speak have dollars
26:53 - are making words
26:54 - to make sure that they work
26:56 - and to make sure that they're serving needs so from that perspective every year we
26:59 - sort of look at everything and say does this work
27:02 - and
27:03 - as to like coordinating the actual budget ask with labor and industry.
27:07 - I think it's more like a strategic
27:09 - deployment of these funds coordination so like we don't
27:12 - administer a dollar
27:13 - without coordinating
27:14 - with Elena
27:15 - that that's how we think about it
27:17 - so in again just sort of give an example so
27:19 - odd
27:20 - request talking about for example a
27:22 - pipe fitting program that is a registered apprenticeship program they've gotten some
27:25 - Pennsylvania dollars to help build at that program from our apprenticeship program
27:29 - which program would come in let's say that there is a new piece of equipment or there
27:32 - isn't a curriculum that could be really helpful to make that program that we've
27:35 - already registered that's already used up winter
27:37 - wrap may have come from labor and industry
27:39 - but they can make a tweak that makes them even more relevant
27:43 - or even better to meet the needs of some business needs
27:46 - in that part of
27:47 - of the state
27:48 - so Rick at that point his empty
27:50 - secretary sagres at that point
27:52 - scholars could go towards that extra piece of equipment or could go to the extra
27:56 - curriculum that they hadn't planned for it
27:57 - because there's been a change in the industry so
28:00 - it's
28:00 - the the point being that he
28:02 - compliments he would be adding value to programs that already are value
28:06 - yeah.
28:07 - Let's thank you for that I appreciate that
28:10 - okay.
28:11 - We're now going to proceed the question by members
28:12 - of the committee and standing committee chairs
28:14 - standing committee chairs about ten minutes for questions
28:16 - and committee members of a five minute period for questions.
28:19 - I would like to remind members and test fires to be
28:22 - brief and direct in your questions and answers that all members
28:25 - will have an opportunity present their questions
28:27 - first schedule permits
28:28 - we will see if we can have a second round of questions
28:30 - we're going to begin with labor and industry committee chairs first
28:34 - we're going to start with center Robinson followed by senator kaine.
28:38 - Thank you mr chairman.
28:40 - Secretaries thank you for joining us
28:42 - this morning.
28:44 - As you know I've been an advocate for increased investment in apprenticeship programs
28:49 - and appreciate the work the department has done
28:52 - in recent years to grow the number of apprentices
28:54 - and programs
28:56 - my district continues
28:58 - to see opportunities for high wage family
29:00 - sustaining employment in the skilled building trades
29:04 - advanced manufacturing and places like neighborhood ninety one
29:07 - and
29:08 - hospitals and healthcare.
29:11 - What specific industries and occupations are showing the most growth and
29:15 - apprenticeship opportunities across the state.
29:18 - Good morning senator thank you for the question
29:21 - so we we are targeting our dollars on the five areas the governments identified in
29:25 - his tenure economic development plan robotics technology energy agriculture life
29:30 - sciences manufacturing as well as
29:33 - healthcare education in the building and construction trades
29:35 - and as you said apprenticeship models are so just an app excellent way to get people
29:40 - in communities into jobs into a training
29:41 - program that results in family sustaining jobs.
29:45 - So we aren't being very tactical in our investments we're making sure that we are
29:49 - using data this coming fat in our
29:51 - data folks at labor and industry to make sure that
29:53 - we're targeting that we continue to have conversations
29:56 - with the local area boards to see where their needs
29:59 - are
29:59 - we continue to have conversations with stakeholders
30:02 - businesses organized labor other labor stakeholders
30:05 - and we really want to be targeted and making sure that the dollars are investing in
30:09 - areas where there's high need
30:11 - and to your point where people can roll into
30:12 - jobs in areas where they're absolutely necessary.
30:17 - Thank you and have you worked with the
30:19 - organizations to create
30:21 - apprenticeship programs for new occupations
30:24 - is that something that you're focusing on and if so what occupations are on the
30:27 - horizon yeah so you know even when you think about apprenticeship programs you often
30:31 - think about building trades and manufacturing
30:32 - but there are needs elsewhere so we have been working with for example our friends
30:36 - and that department of agriculture they needed
30:38 - to have foreign managers for a dairy herd
30:40 - managers we've needed would have needed to have
30:43 - an act they've needed to fill the gap in succession planning for agribusinesses
30:48 - across Pennsylvania so we've tried to target dollars
30:50 - where we know that they're going into jobs where there are gaps
30:54 - and we don't want to we don't want to end up losing family for
30:57 - not able to fill gaps
30:58 - the same with we've
31:00 - done all sorts of interesting things in education again not really an area that you'd
31:04 - think of as a traditional apprenticeship program
31:06 - but we've helped to create a model
31:08 - across Pennsylvania for an apprenticeship program that can
31:11 - go into schools and what we're we've been able to do is
31:14 - create nineteen
31:16 - apprenticeship programs in in and will be serving
31:18 - close to two hundred students and what that does
31:21 - is it takes folks for example who are in emergency certifications
31:24 - or paraprofessionals some of whom have spent their whole lives
31:27 - working in schools but never could stop working long enough
31:30 - to go to college to get the college degree
31:32 - so we can get them into an apprenticeship program that again that's another example
31:35 - of us working with the department of education to make sure that we we have a
31:38 - programmed aligns with certification needs
31:40 - but we can do as we can take a pair of
31:41 - professional who's always wanted to be a teacher
31:44 - and be able to get them into an apprenticeship program where they roll into that
31:47 - teaching credential and they're able to fill beneath
31:49 - again
31:50 - keeping people in school districts meeting the needs of our local communities
31:54 - so we tried to so
31:55 - so those are the sort of the non traditional ways
31:57 - that we're trying to address workforce prop programs
31:59 - doesn't mean we abandon manufacturing and
32:01 - building construction trades and far from it
32:04 - but we are looking to other ways to take this successful
32:07 - program to make it to work for other industries.
32:10 - That you
32:11 - are continually on the apprenticeship theme your budget materials high-load
32:15 - a certified teacher registered a premise a program
32:19 - to help address teacher shortages across the state
32:22 - who
32:22 - are the program sponsors.
32:26 - I
32:26 - Am.
32:27 - Are there specific
32:29 - school districts that we're targeting
32:30 - so.
32:31 - We there's they
32:32 - have not all been awarded yet have they they have not all been registered I think
32:35 - we've registered ten up to this point so anybody can register one of these programs
32:39 - again it was a model despite speaking to a moment ago
32:41 - it was a model that we had invested money in on to to create once that model program
32:48 - that was acceptable to the department of.
32:51 - Pennsylvania department of education and made sure
32:53 - that it met all the certification requirements
32:55 - was sort of
32:56 - rolled out
32:57 - districts then can.
32:59 - Bid for a yolk
33:01 - it's a
33:01 - competitive Grant
33:02 - I can try to get Grant dollars to build that into their school district so there's no
33:06 - we have no preconceived list of school districts like any school district could be
33:11 - or.
33:11 - Any
33:12 - local educationalist agency could be a candidate for that program.
33:17 - Does this align with or differ from
33:20 - traditional post secondary
33:22 - teacher training programs
33:24 - and.
33:25 - I guess we would say it would
33:26 - align with because it we worked on in conjunction with pd to make sure that the
33:30 - certifications were appropriate so that folks can become
33:33 - certified teachers at the end of it.
33:36 - Thank you.
33:37 - Turning to another group that
33:39 - could potentially benefit from apprenticeship opportunities
33:43 - in the list of training services provided there were no
33:46 - office of vocational rehabilitation.
33:49 - Customers enrolled and registered apprenticeship programs.
33:54 - Has the department been looking for ways.
33:57 - Of the overall can partner with
34:00 - registered apprenticeship programs
34:02 - and are there barriers to utilizing registered apprenticeship programs
34:06 - to help train and employ individuals
34:08 - with disabilities that is such a great question
34:11 - and that is a real passion of mine to change that
34:13 - so we have not had success thus far in good owning our customers from via a vr into
34:19 - register your apprenticeship programs
34:21 - that is just an
34:22 - a tragedy because they are such wonderful programs
34:25 - we are about to get our first student into an apprenticeship program
34:29 - in the next few months
34:31 - but what we've tried to do are hiram g Andrews center are coming off technical
34:34 - institute has been very intentional
34:37 - in creating pre-apprenticeship programs that are
34:39 - candidates for apprenticeship programs so whether that's in
34:42 - facilities management whether that's in
34:44 - building trades
34:45 - we want our students and we're happy to adapt curriculum to make sure that those
34:50 - students are ready to roll into apprenticeship programs
34:52 - but that has just been
34:54 - a hard thing for us to do so I'm happy to be in a
34:56 - public place talking about this and to say to employers
35:00 - how much we would love to get our young people
35:02 - and are not so young people into these programs
35:06 - and
35:07 - that we are happy to work with anyone to make sure that that is a success and
35:11 - we have a good deal of
35:12 - discretion with our vr dollars we can even help subsidize the costs
35:17 - of the those
35:17 - apprentices for a period of time so it is it is an area thank you for recognizing
35:22 - it's something really important and I'm really passionate about and I hope that
35:26 - while I'm in this position we're able to really
35:28 - make that an opportunity for individuals with disabilities.
35:42 - Thank you apologize center.
35:45 - Well
35:45 - thank you for the.
35:47 - You know
35:48 - obviously if my office on the committee can be
35:51 - of any assistance more from John came
35:53 - I know that that's something.
35:56 - Close to his heart as well so
35:58 - I appreciate realise that we can
35:59 - collaborate and help
36:01 - with a project
36:02 - thank you and moving on.
36:05 - Workforce needs and opportunities are changing
36:07 - rapidly especially when it comes to the use of AI.
36:11 - Is your depart
36:12 - department collaborating with the department of education to ensure our school system
36:17 - is appropriately preparing our students
36:19 - for the evolving
36:21 - lab our market.
36:25 - Yeah
36:25 - I can start.
36:28 - What this is a critical question thanks Sarah good Caesar.
36:33 - I guess say a couple things about AI.
36:35 - One.
36:36 - I think this is a place where
36:38 - Pennsylvania can win.
36:41 - And really from a national security perspective as we compete especially with China
36:44 - he has to win
36:46 - and I think we can win
36:48 - on infrastructure
36:49 - by.
36:50 - Building
36:51 - AI infrastructure and data centers in a smart way in a way where.
36:57 - Developers and companies pay for their own power you know
37:00 - are transparent with communities conserve water appropriately
37:04 - but also in manufacturing
37:06 - where we've seen actually in your district some examples of
37:08 - like a real resurgence in
37:10 - energy based manufacturing
37:12 - companies like
37:13 - mitsubishi electric and hitachi and iOS and mainspring
37:16 - and
37:17 - who are.
37:20 - Essentially building this AI future through energy manufacturing
37:24 - and
37:25 - especially
37:26 - around our universities but not exclusively.
37:28 - Where we went on the innovation side
37:30 - where
37:31 - great companies that are creating wealth and high quality jobs for people
37:35 - your products and services that power our economy are
37:38 - built as well.
37:40 - Examples come to mind you know
37:41 - the
37:42 - ever growing number of unicorns for example coming out of
37:45 - of universities in Pittsburgh are our hometown
37:47 - and so I think.
37:49 - There is a huge economic opportunity here.
37:52 - I think in secretary Walker can speak to this in a second.
37:56 - It's also our responsibility together
37:58 - every state really every country the whole world is is addressing this issue together
38:02 - to do our best to stay ahead of the curve
38:04 - to understand the impacts of this technology
38:07 - to plan accordingly to make sure we're positioning Pennsylvania
38:12 - and pennsylvanians
38:14 - to succeed and
38:16 - and I think
38:18 - there are many ways.
38:19 - We can do that in a movie secretary you want to talk
38:21 - about it a couple of efforts underway there yet so
38:24 - obviously there's going to be some job elimination but the
38:27 - important place for us to really stay focused
38:29 - is the job transformation and the job creation
38:32 - and to make sure that we are having training programs and that we're making sure the
38:37 - people are ready to meet the job needs as they as these.
38:40 - As these technologies evolve so
38:42 - right now we are in a trying to learn what to expect
38:46 - into the future and where exactly we're going
38:48 - gonna have these impacts so we are working with
38:50 - our colleagues in several agencies including
38:52 - secretary sagres
38:54 - he and some others
38:55 - because we really want to put together a robust study to examine this this
38:59 - sort of the trends and see where we can be on top of that and make sure that we're
39:03 - transitioning students and people into the jobs of
39:06 - today which is evolving almost every day
39:09 - and into the future so that's really what we are looking
39:11 - to do but we want to be able to to be nimble and do that
39:14 - were also as many of you are aware we're using AI AI
39:18 - in a strategic way at the commonwealth with mindful that we are not
39:21 - going to take anybody's job because of AI
39:24 - but we want to make sure that we are as efficient for the
39:26 - people of Pennsylvania as we can be and that we want to
39:29 - make our the job sufficient for the people who are working them everyday.
39:33 - Why thank
39:33 - you for your testimony I see that the I'm just about out of time so I can save
39:37 - the remaining questions for
39:39 - round two if we get to them
39:41 - but if not
39:42 - I do appreciate.
39:45 - The
39:45 - professional relationship that
39:47 - my office and both of
39:49 - your departments have had over the years so thank you we do as well
39:52 - as thanks.
39:54 - Up next we have sen kaine followed by senator brown.
39:58 - Thank you mr
39:59 - Herrmann.
40:00 - The morning secretary in a Walker and secretary song her and.
40:05 - One thing that we then learn today that buying phentermine owner mr Robinson and
40:10 - call me as friends I went
40:11 - home that day
40:13 - on the Philadelphia area and the new Van along with people while what.
40:17 - Yeah
40:18 - so.
40:19 - My.
40:19 - My my question for secondary was her arm or over
40:22 - your opponent but it doesn't know when one vr is
40:26 - the office of vocational rehabilitation.
40:30 - So secretary mall for
40:32 - omidyar serve Pennsylvania with disabilities
40:36 - and providing employment
40:37 - some horn for helping me in district offices
40:41 - and job opportunities.
40:44 - We have been hearing about and return
40:46 - to order of
40:47 - watching a b r waning less
40:50 - in certain categories
40:52 - from Pennsylvania.
40:54 - How many people are
40:56 - currently on that winning
40:59 - and can you talk about them from post.
41:01 - Only are funding
41:03 - infringed and the governor's budget.
41:06 - On how that would
41:07 - impact.
41:09 - The waning life
41:10 - thank you so much for the question senator
41:12 - if I may let me talk a little bit how we found our
41:15 - way to order selection which we are in right now
41:17 - so in the twenty two twenty four budget the federal government which funds the vast
41:21 - majority of our money eighty percent of the money that
41:23 - comes into vocational rehabilitation in the state and
41:27 - it was flat funded so we didn't get a cola increase the result of that was over
41:31 - twelve and a half million dollars that was lost to our agency at that time
41:36 - as a result we had to freeze hiring we had to console it eight offices we had to be
41:39 - very careful about how we spent dollars
41:42 - last year we were we were under threat again of having the
41:46 - cost of living adjustment held up
41:48 - we got a budget seven months late the
41:50 - we didn't get until April at that point
41:53 - the cola was put back in but now we're hearing threats
41:55 - again about flat funding back to twenty twenty four
41:58 - so as a result of that we have in fact had to go to order of selection in which in in
42:03 - what that is is where the most significantly disabled people are
42:06 - given services and people who are
42:09 - significantly disabled and disabled
42:11 - are having
42:12 - we have to put them on a waiting list
42:14 - so right now senator
42:16 - we have no one waiting for our most significantly disabled
42:18 - it is in that category we have no one waiting for services
42:21 - in significantly disabled we have
42:24 - thirteen hundred and nineteen people waiting
42:26 - and in our
42:27 - disabled list we have one hundred and sixty three waiting all total that's fourteen
42:31 - hundred and four people who are not able to be served
42:35 - what we've been able to do though with this cost
42:37 - of living amount that just came I'm out in April
42:40 - is we've been able to bring people off of
42:42 - that list about one hundred and fifty a month
42:45 - so we're being smart and strategic but again when we don't
42:48 - know what those federal dollars are going to look like
42:50 - it's hard to ramp staff up
42:52 - just end up having to roll back or it's hard to come off of an order of selection and
42:55 - then go back through the public notice in the state
42:58 - plan amen mints and get back an order selection so it is very hard for us
43:03 - from a planning perspective
43:04 - with when these dollars are up in the air and as you hear you hear constantly about
43:09 - the department of education being eliminated and there's just a
43:12 - good deal of chaos
43:13 - in that Bundy in that funding stream for us.
43:16 - The extra funding so we we thank you for the match amounts that were at that we
43:21 - are asking for with the extra million dollars sen is for two specific purposes two
43:27 - programs that don't receive federal vr funding
43:30 - one is art for an
43:32 - arts
43:33 - support service providers and those are people who work with folks
43:37 - that are deaf and hard of hearing I think there's about one hundred and twelve people
43:40 - that are getting hundreds of hours the services
43:42 - and it's really fascinating to watch
43:44 - and it's actually people are doing.
43:47 - Sign language in the hand of a blind person so that they can
43:51 - use it they can communicate with the world and and and.
43:54 - Conduct themselves
43:55 - have jobs whatever the case may be
43:57 - and the other place where we don't have a bucket are the supports for people
44:02 - who are blind and visually disabled in terms of
44:05 - teaching white case so somebody who's losing
44:07 - their vision slowly or suddenly finds himself
44:10 - unable to see
44:11 - teaching them how to use a white cane
44:13 - help being in their homes to help them identify burners on a stove with braille
44:18 - those kinds of things
44:20 - art literally shop there job adjacent
44:23 - but they're not training for a job so they
44:25 - fall outside of the vr federal funding bucket
44:28 - so that's why those additional five hundred that in Italy looking to divide that
44:31 - between the two programs five hundred thousand and each program
44:34 - they're critically necessary for these really
44:37 - vulnerable people thank you for asking.
44:44 - Thank you senator
44:45 - next we have senator brown followed by senator Williams.
44:50 - Thank you mr chairman good morning everyone thank you for being here.
44:53 - So.
44:55 - We talked a lot about the communication back and forth with the different agencies
45:00 - and with our schools and I know it's fluid and I know it's not as detailed probably
45:04 - as we all would like it to be you know this happens
45:07 - step one this happens step choose to identify
45:10 - jobs
45:11 - and
45:12 - opportunities and being prepared.
45:16 - Secretary soccer you mentioned Eli Lilly which was
45:19 - months of kind of working back and forth to get them here
45:22 - and I hear this very often
45:25 - in my area that as we try to recruit businesses
45:28 - it's sort of that that circle.
45:31 - Yeah well we we won't go there because you don't have the
45:33 - workforce we'll we'll get the workforce but we you know so
45:35 - you go back and forth
45:37 - and I think my question is in regards to
45:40 - I think I mentioned it last year.
45:43 - Looking ahead.
45:45 - Planning proactive approach to the workforce which I
45:48 - know we're doing in certain ways of where we have holes
45:52 - but on some of the things maybe we don't even know.
45:54 - We talk about AI we talk about those type of things but
45:58 - twenty years out
45:59 - what are these jobs going to be
46:02 - and I think the only people that might know that
46:04 - are some of these fortune five hundred companies
46:07 - that have twenty year plans
46:09 - and they know where their big business models going they know where their job
46:13 - market is going to be
46:15 - and
46:15 - my question to you first question is
46:18 - to say what are we doing on that end
46:21 - to be proactive
46:23 - prepared
46:24 - so that we're not doing that Eli Lilly thing for months
46:27 - which is great that we got it but we are we are already there
46:31 - and they're looking to come to us because we are they are
46:34 - and
46:34 - having that stronger communication with our schools on that
46:38 - that higher level
46:39 - of twenty years out and preparing to go into
46:41 - it are we doing anything in that fashion.
46:45 - Yeah that's a great question
46:46 - in some ways one of the most important questions facing.
46:50 - The country.
46:51 - Yeah.
46:52 - I
46:52 - Guess I'll reflect on it in a couple of ways.
46:56 - I think you know before I did this job.
46:59 - I was in
47:00 - the good fortune of being like a senior administrator at carnegie mellon right with
47:03 - one of the great research institutions of
47:05 - Pennsylvania and really the world
47:07 - and we used to talk about.
47:10 - Training students.
47:11 - For jobs that we knew ten years from now like wouldn't even exist
47:16 - like how do you train a student
47:18 - to be productive in a job
47:20 - that doesn't exist
47:21 - yet
47:22 - and you've got to teach
47:24 - informational skills you've got to teach
47:26 - how to learn.
47:29 - And I do think that.
47:32 - Well a I
47:33 - anyone any company any government that tells you they know
47:36 - exactly what the economy is going to look like in twenty years is.
47:40 - I would not take that but.
47:42 - I do think there are things we can do
47:44 - to make sure we're positioning
47:46 - Pennsylvania
47:48 - to win
47:48 - and let's actually take the the Lilly example because
47:50 - I may have described it in a way that came off as.
47:54 - We had to sort of reinvent the wheel to get it done I actually think.
47:58 - Lily is a good example of.
48:01 - Building on our shrinks and creating like a custom.
48:04 - Solution but built on our strengths there are like one hundred thousand people that
48:08 - already work in life sciences in Pennsylvania.
48:11 - Jnj and gsk and merck
48:13 - and Santa fe up your way like like there's so many great companies
48:17 - employing thousands of people with these skills
48:19 - and so as a result
48:20 - there are strong relationships between our universities
48:22 - and community college in particular and these companies
48:26 - not just to
48:27 - train workers to.
48:29 - Take on these jobs
48:30 - but also to retrain them
48:32 - as as they go as as techniques and equipment and things change over time
48:36 - and I think what we are able to do with Lily was
48:39 - take that really strong base commute locate it
48:42 - fund it
48:43 - in and build like a program based on on that strength and in that case in particular
48:47 - I was especially excited because.
48:49 - You know
48:50 - building a new pharmaceutical manufacturing
48:52 - facility in Pennsylvania anywhere is a big deal
48:55 - but being able to extend this cluster north from
48:57 - you know the Philadelphia suburbs to the lehigh valley.
49:00 - Is a really big deal
49:02 - actually
49:03 - and I think that's because again
49:05 - the
49:06 - employment base the training capabilities
49:09 - are going to.
49:10 - Reinforce one another
49:11 - like it is gonna be a lot easier for me to go out and
49:14 - sell the next from a company on the lehigh valley or
49:17 - you know school county are up your what you know in that region
49:20 - then it was you know
49:21 - to get the Lilly deal done for that reason and I think that
49:25 - you know building on those strengths is really like the core.
49:28 - Thesis of our economic development plan in the first place
49:31 - figure out what you're good at
49:32 - focus there
49:34 - and make sure these sectors are growing
49:36 - and and make sure people have access to great job so
49:39 - very hard
49:40 - questions but questions I think
49:43 - we're prepared to take on together.
49:45 - No thank you and I and I think you know I I didn't know it was a positive with you
49:50 - Lily and
49:51 - that's a good
49:52 - you know sector there that we are strong in
49:55 - but I do think we have to continue not to trust all the information every which
49:59 - direction but make sure we garner
50:01 - enough and share it
50:03 - among all of
50:05 - the
50:06 - interested parties
50:07 - and I know you mentioned community colleges very often and in that endeavor and they
50:12 - they are formatted to have that flexibility
50:14 - you know in their curriculum
50:16 - but I do hate to hear that we're our past few schools are not as flexible in that
50:20 - ability to respond sometimes to curriculum and things that
50:24 - we might be able to utilize them as well and
50:27 - and I think we have to figure out there
50:29 - how we can get both the community the colleges and patchy
50:32 - to be
50:33 - a.
50:34 - Quicker reacting
50:35 - and have that flexibility in their curriculums a little bit more
50:38 - and the other question that I do have two questions
50:41 - is in regards to the Pennsylvania first program that does have the flexibility to
50:47 - offer workforce development in the Grant of trust you
50:49 - know how often that is used for the workforce piece of it
50:52 - and do.
50:54 - You know if if it's
50:55 - if it is beneficial in there or should we maybe move it someplace else.
51:00 - I don't know the specifics but we know them and
51:02 - will get them to you like that's a very noble answer
51:05 - and
51:05 - you did stumped me though and on the particulars of that number
51:08 - the team will get back to you
51:10 - with respect to like how generally it's used
51:12 - the reason we liked this Grant is it's flexible
51:16 - and reimbursable
51:17 - so we articulate a set of eligible costs
51:20 - against equipment capital
51:22 - workforce would be like the main buckets here you can't use it for payroll or
51:25 - operating costs capital or training.
51:28 - And companies then can make a decision about how they want to deploy that funding.
51:33 - We will also though
51:35 - often
51:35 - package of Pennsylvania first Grant alongside a wedding at Grant
51:39 - so a company will communicate to us as part of our due diligence process our training
51:43 - budget is a half a million dollars for this growth maybe
51:46 - we'll say hey great we'll give in it's one hundred jobs
51:49 - will give you two thousand dollars a job through web net which is essentially dollars
51:53 - you can say and at Pennsylvania workforce providers
51:55 - to train these workers up to two hundred k
51:57 - and then we'll do another
51:58 - two hundred k of p first so you can
52:00 - buy this equipment
52:01 - for this floor you know raise this wall.
52:05 - Companies I would say like in a perfect world
52:07 - and
52:07 - if you're a company would always say I want the maximum amount of flexibility
52:11 - but that's not how we run the programs like we want to
52:13 - work with the programs constructively and if we think training's an important use.
52:17 - That's investing in our people
52:19 - and
52:19 - that's an that's an expense will accrue all day
52:21 - long like training of Pennsylvania to do a job like
52:24 - that's a no regrets move almost one hundred percent of the time
52:27 - and then if an incentive is required to get a company to grow or or
52:31 - expand and we of course also he sp at first for that
52:35 - okay thank you
52:36 - and that leaves me into the wet net
52:38 - conversation
52:39 - it was mentioned a little earlier in the hearing
52:42 - of a twelve point five
52:44 - million dollar.
52:46 - Increase correct I believe I have to look at my numbers
52:49 - and that's a twenty five year old program
52:52 - and it does look like
52:53 - twenty four twenty five
52:56 - served about five hundred and thirty two companies give or take
52:59 - but historically it does appear that it served more than that
53:04 - sometimes you know back two thousand and ten.
53:07 - Two thousand and twelve seven hundred companies or so so
53:10 - is there
53:11 - any reason that you believe those numbers
53:14 - have reduced with wet net.
53:17 - And.
53:19 - I think there's a couple of things happening here
53:21 - one let me just outline the math around the budget
53:24 - request because it's not really a twelve point five
53:26 - million dollar increase request
53:28 - even though it appears that when the ledger.
53:30 - Historically wedding has been a part of pa first
53:34 - just like we would ask for.
53:36 - I'm making up the numbers but like a thirty million dollar line and pa first
53:39 - and then we would deploy
53:41 - with full transparency
53:42 - you know eight to ten million let's say of
53:44 - that those dollars to Whedon at any given year
53:47 - our goal here is to both break out wide net as it's own light that emits an important
53:51 - program is it's own thing we should just I think be transparent about what it is
53:54 - and to grow it slightly so from
53:57 - somewhere between eight and ten and again that's been based on demand
54:00 - in recent years to twelve point five
54:02 - let's give these folks at penn college of
54:04 - technology run this thing like a real budget
54:06 - let's like give them a line and and let them run it again this is our
54:10 - sort of marquee on the job training program it's really valuable for companies so
54:13 - that's point one so there is a slight
54:15 - increase here
54:16 - on the on the in and there's also an increase we're proposing in pa first but.
54:21 - It's not like a twelve point five million dollar increase when it.
54:23 - Point to his.
54:26 - A bunch of things happened in the web net program
54:29 - and
54:30 - so number of companies serve for example would flex based on
54:34 - the number of employees they're looking to train so for example for training
54:37 - companies with large number of employees
54:39 - like our employee number might be
54:41 - the same
54:42 - but the
54:42 - number of companies we trained might be different
54:45 - and then realistically
54:46 - do.
54:47 - You know
54:48 - the budget impasses of which we had a fairly long one last year have real
54:51 - consequences for how we run these programs we can't.
54:55 - Deploy these contracts in dollars you know until we have
54:58 - real certainty and while of course
55:00 - on a bipartisan basis legislature supported wedding for many years
55:03 - long before I was here
55:05 - we have to be sort of prudent about deploying the funds.
55:08 - I love this program because of it's flexibility
55:11 - because
55:12 - it's really responsive to company needs
55:14 - because frankly we leverage one of our
55:16 - very best
55:17 - workforce training partners in penn college to run it
55:20 - in williamsport and
55:21 - and welcome your
55:22 - your continued support for it.
55:25 - Thank you very much thank you for those answers and thank you for what you do
55:29 - thank you mister
55:30 - thank you.
55:31 - Thank you senator of next senator Williams followed by senator culver.
55:36 - Thank you mr chairman
55:37 - and thank you
55:38 - madam secretary
55:39 - mr secretary.
55:42 - My comments today probably will be a little bit of observation and then some
55:45 - questions you may or may not be able to respond to.
55:48 - I represent
55:50 - and I listen to you.
55:51 - Specifically mr secretary describe success with
55:54 - sort of mart was cross who
55:56 - was asking questions
55:57 - and.
55:59 - Success was defined as job retention.
56:02 - The fact that the
56:03 - business would succeed
56:06 - and that I guess third skills
56:09 - were
56:09 - align with what industry needed.
56:12 - I like to add to that.
56:15 - I think that.
56:16 - Out of all of this we had to find a way to make sure that all Pennsylvania
56:19 - benefiting by this process.
56:22 - I represent a.
56:25 - District it has some parts which are not under
56:27 - employed they are chronically unemployed.
56:31 - And
56:31 - maybe it's my misfortune to not work with YouTube directly as
56:35 - some others on this panel may have but.
56:38 - I would suggest to you that we probably need to be a little bit more connected.
56:42 - The federal
56:43 - government has presented circumstances across
56:45 - this country certainly Pennsylvania is not.
56:48 - Unique in that regard
56:49 - that make economic training
56:51 - in a variety of other opportunities a little bit more challenging.
56:55 - That makes it even more challenging for folks who live in my district.
56:59 - And
57:00 - I'd like to see some data.
57:02 - That talks about success
57:04 - in that regard with
57:05 - specifics as it relates to my district
57:08 - and
57:09 - you know for some it may
57:11 - you may think of it in the context of race I think in the context of disabled veterans
57:17 - and certainly people color.
57:19 - Whoever is chronically unemployed
57:20 - I think we need to be figuring out how do we get to them first.
57:24 - The benefit to that.
57:26 - For some people will think that's.
57:29 - Asking for a favor.
57:32 - No actually when you had
57:34 - people to the workforce you benefit
57:36 - the commonwealth significantly
57:38 - you take them off of programs that provide assistance
57:41 - and they revive themselves you provide for the economy Pennsylvania.
57:45 - Extraordinary ways and so
57:47 - my conversation today is not about
57:49 - giving advantage to anybody is acknowledging that these job creating programs
57:52 - should be going to people who are in greatest need
57:55 - because they could help us
57:56 - if they are in these places.
57:59 - Some of the
58:00 - examples given welding you know there's
58:02 - a world in crisis in Philadelphia.
58:05 - Can't tell you that the public school system has
58:07 - aligned itself in a way that
58:08 - meets a need
58:10 - I don't know what the programs I did hear senator Martin talk about texts sent
58:13 - to central I believe most.
58:16 - Don't know anything about her
58:18 - but would be very interested in those things I'm
58:21 - very interested about the data as it relates to
58:24 - what regions are impacted by these programs that
58:25 - you talk about that you're asking for support for
58:28 - variance in the demographics of support that I'd
58:30 - like to see the breakout for that earlier today
58:33 - but I do need it.
58:35 - Because as we proceeded to the budget
58:37 - you know my
58:38 - my.
58:39 - Question will be a little bit more critical
58:40 - indirect.
58:41 - I'm not going to be presumptive or something any more that
58:43 - you know all boats
58:44 - are risen because we've all.
58:47 - Poured into the pot it just
58:48 - is not the case that's not what happens.
58:51 - There are certain communities in Pennsylvania which are and I'll mean
58:54 - I don't need
58:55 - wealth I need just peep all working
58:57 - ok.
58:58 - So.
58:59 - You know
59:00 - community colleges exam.
59:01 - I was there about
59:03 - three weeks ago
59:04 - go there frequently.
59:06 - The desire for many of those young people is to drive
59:09 - forward and as we know
59:10 - it's very diverse population
59:12 - but frankly many of them are
59:14 - automotive.
59:16 - Other specifics.
59:18 - The life science sciences
59:19 - no conversation I was in a room of one hundred people
59:22 - not one person mentioned life sciences and
59:26 - Philadelphia is a robust
59:28 - place as it comes to that.
59:30 - How did we you
59:32 - become not just
59:34 - the energy that responds to demand but as actually leads that conversation
59:38 - because I frankly think that the training process.
59:41 - Needs more affirmative movement in that space that says look you're missing.
59:47 - The opportunity
59:48 - to expand our economy
59:50 - because we're not reaching these places in an organized deliberate way so.
59:55 - 074 Some of this is aspirational with some of this is real while not all of it is real
01:00 - 00.914 right
01:00 - 01.664 the quest
01:00 - 06.204 how do you apply it so first of the data and then second to execution.
01:00 - 11.210 I would be happy to and I couldn't agree with you more we can't talk about how hard
01:00 - 14.834 it is to fill jobs and not make sure that we're making opportunities available in the
01:00 - 16.994 colour blind across the commonwealth way
01:00 - 19.724 completely agree and if I may heavier intelligence
01:00 - 22.274 and my deputy secretary just had been
01:00 - 24.524 prior to coming to join us humans ago
01:00 - 27.554 had been working with the local area in Philadelphia she had been
01:00 - 30.047 cf over there so I I'd love for her to speak to some
01:00 - 33.234 of the specific investments in the Philadelphia area.
01:00 - 37.584 Thank you and
01:00 - 38.174 excuse me
01:00 - 45.024 an important to note for us outside of this specific state investments that you see.
01:00 - 49.694 Most of our workforce funding comes through federal investments that we then deploy
01:00 - 51.614 locally through the workforce development boards
01:00 - 52.454 so.
01:00 - 55.154 For example in Philadelphia Philadelphia works takes
01:00 - 57.974 those investments plus other investments that they
01:00 - 00.704 then leverage to meet the needs that they're seeing
01:01 - 02.024 so and
01:01 - 06.464 for example they worked very closely in the life sciences and space
01:01 - 07.794 too
01:01 - 09.704 there's an industry partnership there called
01:01 - 11.234 life sci pa
01:01 - 13.884 that is working with businesses
01:01 - 16.284 with training providers
01:01 - 19.814 and with schools to build that life science pipeline
01:01 - 23.204 so the wistar institute for example has done
01:01 - 27.014 a number of training programs where they've taken folks in provided
01:01 - 28.334 training and
01:01 - 31.934 as we talk about the apprenticeship model it's not exactly an apprenticeship but
01:01 - 37.004 there's an earn while you learn component in order to ensure that folks are able to
01:01 - 37.634 okay
01:01 - 38.471 were also
01:01 - 41.654 significantly under represented as stated by the
01:01 - 43.254 one of my point
01:01 - 45.024 is this look.
01:01 - 49.704 Western suits are extraordinary value to a district into the community
01:01 - 53.844 and the impact upon federal cuts is real
01:01 - 55.094 but even prior to that
01:01 - 57.044 I visited listers to
01:01 - 00.104 twenty five years ago and
01:02 - 02.184 they told me then.
01:02 - 06.654 They have challenged with regard to connecting for those chronically unemployed cmu's
01:02 - 08.522 and they will tell me what the salaries were
01:02 - 12.114 without a college degree high school degrees right.
01:02 - 15.410 So even in the program that you're talking about today which I'm not familiar with I
01:02 - 17.098 can guarantee if I come there and look at the
01:02 - 19.124 numbers are not necessary with him he should be
01:02 - 20.424 with regard to average
01:02 - 21.554 question for
01:02 - 22.794 us is
01:02 - 24.134 how do we make it real
01:02 - 27.234 high school my district bars from high school.
01:02 - 30.054 Graduation rate is not great.
01:02 - 31.124 Aptitudes now great.
01:02 - 33.414 Desire is strong.
01:02 - 36.444 How do we connect that real life experience
01:02 - 39.194 with western they don't know a thing about western institute
01:02 - 41.289 okay I was a bar ton.
01:02 - 42.684 X number weeks ago
01:02 - 45.164 how do we do that in a way that is route like
01:02 - 48.284 we're having we're all dressed up we have benefits we're you know
01:02 - 49.904 whatever we gonna do we gonna go back
01:02 - 50.864 but
01:02 - 51.524 the folks
01:02 - 52.274 who
01:02 - 54.024 the country needs.
01:02 - 56.174 Are in these communities and by the way
01:02 - 58.135 people think I'm just talking about Philadelphia I
01:02 - 00.230 can talk about Harrisburg I'm talking about Pittsburgh
01:03 - 00.714 I can talk
01:03 - 01.244 erie
01:03 - 03.313 are conducting about wilkesboro economic Greene
01:03 - 05.114 county I can talk about rural Pennsylvania
01:03 - 06.294 same thing
01:03 - 10.214 kids are languish young people are languishing because we're not reaching them
01:03 - 12.064 and putting them I'm in these in these
01:03 - 13.754 buckets because I'm sorry apologetic
01:03 - 17.294 no and your point is very important and well taken
01:03 - 21.173 and the work that we're doing across agencies is exactly
01:03 - 24.614 what we need to be doing to get where where you're
01:03 - 26.694 talking about us being.
01:03 - 28.064 In working with
01:03 - 29.594 pt ii for example
01:03 - 31.424 we are able to to
01:03 - 36.114 set up our grandson in such a way that were requiring certain partnerships
01:03 - 39.434 so that you know if we are investing in
01:03 - 42.024 a program a school a business.
01:03 - 44.412 Setting up those partnerships just as you'd
01:03 - 47.384 mentioned so places like bartram high are engaged
01:03 - 49.454 with places like the west are institute
01:03 - 51.164 that's where we need to be moving
01:03 - 53.838 and that's where we are moving so we'll continue to
01:03 - 56.302 prioritize investments like that and I would love to talk with
01:03 - 58.374 you more about that absolutely
01:03 - 03.344 and senator if I if I could just follow up on that in addition to the sort of federal
01:04 - 07.334 bucket of dollars that is distributed to our local areas for programs like that
01:04 - 12.380 in one of the key programs and inserted the state budget is that schools to work
01:04 - 14.924 program which which does exactly what you're suggesting
01:04 - 19.580 connects young people with those opportunities where they can explore the come learn
01:04 - 21.164 about them while they're in high school
01:04 - 23.731 and have opportunities to do internships have
01:04 - 26.624 opportunities to learn more about what it would look like
01:04 - 28.544 for them to pursue that career so
01:04 - 31.934 at estadio certainly at the local level there are all sorts of
01:04 - 32.594 sort of
01:04 - 37.184 very targeted niche programs that federal dollars ease corporate state level
01:04 - 39.452 those skills to work dollars that we're hoping to
01:04 - 41.476 take from three and a half to seven million dollars
01:04 - 43.544 exactly does what you're talking about
01:04 - 47.354 makes young people aware of programs that exist that they didn't know about
01:04 - 48.494 so I
01:04 - 49.309 again I
01:04 - 50.504 would just encourage like
01:04 - 54.474 this containing investment in our young people and giving them this exposure.
01:04 - 55.484 Many people
01:04 - 56.504 many young people
01:04 - 58.189 when we grew up we knew what our parents did
01:04 - 00.074 and what our friends' parents did for a living
01:05 - 04.370 and getting young people exposed to what the whole world looks like from a career
01:05 - 06.554 perspective is is really important says
01:05 - 08.272 marketers question.
01:05 - 10.584 In my case
01:05 - 11.744 was a young people are
01:05 - 13.464 annoyed me.
01:05 - 14.694 In my case I have
01:05 - 15.804 thirty year old
01:05 - 16.784 yeah right
01:05 - 19.484 who we need to find a way to get them.
01:05 - 22.634 Employed in a significant subset of way
01:05 - 26.552 and so I'll take this opportunity opening conversation.
01:05 - 27.374 That
01:05 - 28.494 hopefully will
01:05 - 31.214 get a laugh a bit more connected than we have in the past.
01:05 - 33.654 I think we are at a crossroads
01:05 - 35.174 and
01:05 - 36.564 you know.
01:05 - 39.284 Frankly the literacy rate in Pennsylvania is kind of scary
01:05 - 41.644 for those who need to be in these training programs
01:05 - 42.764 so the
01:05 - 44.444 cross-fertilization of how
01:05 - 45.884 education works
01:05 - 48.254 liberal more systematically and effectively impactful
01:05 - 50.144 for the spaces you guys operate
01:05 - 51.344 as necessary
01:05 - 52.584 so.
01:05 - 54.674 Where are you from you have a
01:05 - 55.884 what.
01:05 - 56.804 Were you from
01:05 - 58.164 originally.
01:05 - 58.994 I'm from new York
01:05 - 02.564 I'm from new York originally but I've lived in Pennsylvania for
01:06 - 05.754 twenty two years that accent from.
01:06 - 10.134 Maybe it's everything I like Pennsylvania Dutch or so.
01:06 - 12.471 I've never gotten up before.
01:06 - 13.944 Thank you.
01:06 - 20.114 Yeah sorry about that
01:06 - 22.494 southwest or south Philly.
01:06 - 26.964 On that note.
01:06 - 30.114 Better culver followed by senator petticoat.
01:06 - 31.184 Thank you
01:06 - 33.973 mr chairman and thank you for being here I mean I might
01:06 - 37.164 want to fill in I am from Pennsylvania Dutch country.
01:06 - 39.804 Sounds like me or not but
01:06 - 41.124 and
01:06 - 43.934 we we like what you're doing in that area so
01:06 - 44.354 just.
01:06 - 45.494 Kind of
01:06 - 48.074 dovetailing on what some of the chairs have said
01:06 - 52.814 the apprentice and training officers initiative to develop the certified
01:06 - 54.144 teachers
01:06 - 54.794 and
01:06 - 57.514 is that an initiative because I'm not sure if I heard that that is
01:06 - 00.444 being coordinated with the department of education.
01:07 - 05.900 So as they as they created the model because the idea was to create a model that
01:07 - 09.950 would work and result in certifications and then that model can be rolled out and
01:07 - 14.814 adopted as as an apprenticeship program in local education area school districts.
01:07 - 15.164 So.
01:07 - 19.040 So the answer to the first part is yes so we could not have created a model for an
01:07 - 21.440 apprenticeship program that resulted in certification without
01:07 - 23.114 working closely with pt so they
01:07 - 25.934 so pd he worked with the apprenticeship and training office
01:07 - 29.784 in our agency to make sure that that the that the.
01:07 - 32.654 That the model was one that could be
01:07 - 33.404 set down
01:07 - 36.614 in another school district so now going forward I'm not sure
01:07 - 37.734 how involved
01:07 - 39.954 pd is in in the.
01:07 - 42.204 Discrete grants
01:07 - 43.494 but they were certainly
01:07 - 45.794 the the mastermind of the models
01:07 - 46.334 okay
01:07 - 47.054 thank you
01:07 - 47.534 of course
01:07 - 48.734 and then
01:07 - 53.004 talking about schoolwork funding since we just stopped talking about that.
01:07 - 54.014 So.
01:07 - 55.424 Did I miss because
01:07 - 58.754 my schools are really active with the act three three nine programs
01:07 - 00.294 and developing.
01:08 - 03.254 Your career interest in exposing students to
01:08 - 06.594 careers they may not have had a chance to see.
01:08 - 08.504 Involving businesses in the community
01:08 - 11.914 and a lot of businesses are hiring these students and right out of high school
01:08 - 12.824 so
01:08 - 15.761 I guess what types of projects does the school
01:08 - 19.404 to work program fund and what gap is it filling
01:08 - 19.904 so.
01:08 - 24.410 Again it's about early career exploration and opportunity so that city schools to
01:08 - 26.504 work program is tailored so that they're
01:08 - 29.088 looking at their communities to find ways to
01:08 - 31.634 get young people engaged with businesses and
01:08 - 34.844 opportunities that that are lower will I mean for the most part so
01:08 - 36.849 everything from as I mentioned with susquehanna
01:08 - 39.894 township school district you know sorta that teacher.
01:08 - 43.310 Pre-apprenticeship program to learn about what the teaching profession might look
01:08 - 46.154 like and have hands on teaching experience and get some credentials
01:08 - 47.864 we also have programs
01:08 - 49.484 that I raise up in a
01:08 - 50.264 program
01:08 - 52.470 of schools to our program in the Philadelphia area
01:08 - 54.884 where it was getting young people to learn about
01:08 - 57.080 a hydroponic farming so that they could do that
01:08 - 59.994 in warehouses that were specifically serving
01:09 - 01.364 the Kensington area so
01:09 - 05.924 everything from farming to education to manufacturing there's
01:09 - 07.814 just virtually any
01:09 - 11.984 need occupational vocational need in an area that's high priority
01:09 - 14.234 could be a program for schools to work
01:09 - 17.071 but again the idea is to show young people
01:09 - 19.454 what that job would look like and sometimes the
01:09 - 21.544 kids take your skills to work program has a roof
01:09 - 24.664 that won't be a teacher but boy I don't want to do that now that I've seen it.
01:09 - 25.754 Or whatever
01:09 - 27.674 but which is the point right
01:09 - 32.840 and particularly when it comes to things that do require a college degree so you
01:09 - 36.024 don't want somebody to find out too two years in that teaching isn't their thing
01:09 - 36.854 so.
01:09 - 39.735 That's the that's the point of schools to work is to
01:09 - 42.134 make sure that young people see what a career looks like
01:09 - 45.854 and not only that but but know how to get there and also
01:09 - 49.490 when it works well employers know that these students are there particularly when
01:09 - 51.284 there's there are credential ready
01:09 - 55.154 young people coming out that don't want to go on to to more education so
01:09 - 58.754 that's a sort of broadly anything could be part of the school's talk program
01:09 - 59.324 okay
01:10 - 00.524 and.
01:10 - 01.334 I know
01:10 - 03.314 my executive director and I are
01:10 - 05.264 really looking into apprentice
01:10 - 07.194 or apprenticeship programs.
01:10 - 11.324 Maybe looking or modeling after what Germany has been doing for
01:10 - 12.464 decades
01:10 - 13.584 yeah and
01:10 - 17.414 we'd be great to work with both of you as we love try to figure that out but
01:10 - 18.774 then got to be helpful
01:10 - 20.184 secretary see her
01:10 - 20.864 and
01:10 - 23.774 how much interaction does your department have with
01:10 - 27.314 the department of education our higher institutions of learning
01:10 - 30.914 are c t ii schools and other educational entities
01:10 - 34.884 when you're trying to attract a new company to this commonwealth.
01:10 - 37.780 Yeah thanks for the question sen.
01:10 - 43.814 The answer is a lot but it really is
01:10 - 46.524 a project by project so maybe.
01:10 - 47.994 In the big picture
01:10 - 49.901 I think we've developed a good relationship with
01:10 - 53.064 of course my colleagues in the cabinet but also.
01:10 - 58.874 Regional leaders in education whether it's like presidents of pesci or you know
01:10 - 03.414 vice presidents of research for example across our research.
01:11 - 06.864 Are one in our two research institutions in Pennsylvania
01:11 - 08.964 so there's like a sort of warm.
01:11 - 10.314 Partnership.
01:11 - 11.144 Feel
01:11 - 12.384 so that like
01:11 - 13.904 when I pick up the phone and call
01:11 - 16.374 lehigh university it's not like who do I call they're
01:11 - 18.124 like like we have worked with these folks
01:11 - 20.864 on innovation funding on
01:11 - 24.254 housing and lots of domains so I think there's like a broad
01:11 - 25.644 familiarity
01:11 - 26.844 and then I think.
01:11 - 28.274 This is not true in every deal
01:11 - 30.828 but in some deals like Eli Lilly like Johnson and
01:11 - 34.674 Johnson just use another example of a recent when Imogen
01:11 - 36.038 and.
01:11 - 39.308 Workforce becomes not just like an.
01:11 - 41.428 Element of what we're pitching to a company like
01:11 - 42.958 here's the labor shed
01:11 - 44.837 you know here the higher ed institutions here the
01:11 - 46.741 other companies that are doing what you're doing
01:11 - 49.708 but like a workforce solution is really important
01:11 - 51.808 and in the case of Johnson Johnson again
01:11 - 55.048 they have like sixty five hundred employees already in pencil mania
01:11 - 58.438 they have strong relationships with Montgomery community college with
01:11 - 01.288 pen and chop and temple and drexel in addition to
01:12 - 02.308 schools all over the
01:12 - 03.488 all over the state
01:12 - 04.898 but.
01:12 - 05.488 You know
01:12 - 07.590 given the very high tech nature of the manufacturing
01:12 - 09.538 they're looking to do with this new facility
01:12 - 12.128 frankly given the fact that we're also seeing
01:12 - 14.788 merck and gsk and others in that region grow
01:12 - 16.708 they were really interested in
01:12 - 20.228 have a stronger partnership within this case Montgomery county community college
01:12 - 22.776 to make sure that they had the workforce they need not
01:12 - 25.678 just for to open up this factory in two or three years or
01:12 - 26.828 four years
01:12 - 28.258 but actually for the long term
01:12 - 29.398 and so in
01:12 - 30.848 from that perspective.
01:12 - 33.440 We have the ability to sort of go deep to helps
01:12 - 36.608 a company solve a specific pro I'm working with
01:12 - 38.548 the right partners in the region
01:12 - 41.733 a lot of this is locally driven as secretary walk was saying
01:12 - 43.048 to kind of get a deal done
01:12 - 43.858 I think
01:12 - 46.768 where we can continue to make progress and would love your support
01:12 - 47.728 is.
01:12 - 50.050 Further institutionalizing that kind of partnership it
01:12 - 53.738 works right we know how to do it on a deal by deal basis.
01:12 - 55.798 We have also made per progress I think
01:12 - 59.018 kind of institutionalizing this kind of approach.
01:12 - 00.988 So we're just using it routinely
01:13 - 01.648 I think
01:13 - 03.397 that's something we can continue to work on
01:13 - 05.181 and would welcome your your partnership there
01:13 - 08.038 I think our educational institutions are hungry
01:13 - 08.518 and
01:13 - 10.588 meet the new demands of the workforce
01:13 - 12.688 and get their students out there something
01:13 - 15.368 similar to you gotta think he's as chairman.
01:13 - 19.298 Thank you Sarah Beck center penny cook followed by senator carney.
01:13 - 20.468 Thank you mr chair
01:13 - 21.988 and thank you for being here today
01:13 - 23.608 and yesterday we heard
01:13 - 28.588 the patchy presidents tell us about their nursing shortage specifically
01:13 - 31.898 five hundred applicants for seventy spots.
01:13 - 33.028 Which was
01:13 - 34.238 scary.
01:13 - 38.768 How can we work to expand that capacity
01:13 - 40.348 in Pennsylvania
01:13 - 42.158 and do it quickly.
01:13 - 43.708 Okay
01:13 - 46.226 thank you for the question and healthcare and
01:13 - 49.288 and nursing and related professions it's just a
01:13 - 52.588 it's a problem across the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania so.
01:13 - 55.828 We talked a bit about schools to work program so some of these
01:13 - 58.268 in healthcare club driven
01:13 - 00.478 schools to work programs where young people are
01:14 - 04.779 getting cpr certifications and I'm working towards cna
01:14 - 06.418 potentially in those kinds of
01:14 - 10.618 credentials and getting exposure to what that might look like as they graduate
01:14 - 12.868 those are great opportunities but I think
01:14 - 18.154 one of the key investments from our perspective into meeting the nursing demand is to
01:14 - 20.968 really be smart and strategic about our apprenticeship dollars
01:14 - 23.188 so an apprenticeship training program again
01:14 - 24.428 because if if
01:14 - 24.718 the
01:14 - 28.288 getting the credentials and the costs of credentials
01:14 - 32.248 are a factor and and in fact data suggests that that is exactly the case
01:14 - 36.154 making sure that we have a way for people to earn while they learn is really
01:14 - 37.768 critically important in this space so
01:14 - 39.328 making sure that we're funding
01:14 - 43.328 apprenticeship training programs is really key in addition to the pre-apprenticeship
01:14 - 44.100 but
01:14 - 46.678 doing that in in for example we have like in
01:14 - 47.908 the eu pmc
01:14 - 52.318 has had some Grant awards from us and they've stood up for programs they've stood up.
01:14 - 57.268 In the last day they have cohorts starting now but they have a surgical technology a
01:14 - 59.848 in a pharmacy technician imaging specialist
01:15 - 01.174 I'm in our investments
01:15 - 02.128 towards
01:15 - 03.508 healthcare is great and we do
01:15 - 05.629 those shortages but I'm looking more towards
01:15 - 07.588 the nursing shortage and the fact that our
01:15 - 13.108 our constraint is actually the nurse educators that we don't have enough of them
01:15 - 16.828 what are we doing to solve that problem so we can have bigger
01:15 - 20.158 classes of nurses going through these different universities
01:15 - 21.447 have you looked at
01:15 - 22.718 funding.
01:15 - 25.845 Nurses that are currently nursing now to go and
01:15 - 28.798 get that advanced degree so that we can have more
01:15 - 31.073 instructors in the classrooms because that
01:15 - 33.538 seems to be the constraint that we're looking at
01:15 - 34.378 that is
01:15 - 36.622 that's a great point in the train the trainer programs
01:15 - 38.938 is not just in nursing it's in other areas as well
01:15 - 41.507 I think that's a great point and we are happy
01:15 - 43.888 to take a look at it and work with you to fight
01:15 - 46.888 to funnel dollars into that space thank you for the question
01:15 - 49.168 my next question because I still have time.
01:15 - 54.568 I absolutely think that kids in fifth and sixth grade should be exposed to the trades
01:15 - 56.132 they should be exposed to everything because
01:15 - 58.928 if they wait till they're in eighth grade.
01:15 - 01.658 All the ccc's are full.
01:16 - 03.988 I've had parents you know call and say well.
01:16 - 05.908 I can't get my kit in
01:16 - 08.188 to the ctc well
01:16 - 09.548 we.
01:16 - 12.178 Know people are starting in fifth and sixth grade and.
01:16 - 13.598 I.
01:16 - 17.158 I think that the trades have been given a bad rap
01:16 - 18.778 over the last thirty years when
01:16 - 20.505 we all told kids you have to go to college you
01:16 - 22.378 have to go to college you have to go to college
01:16 - 23.248 and
01:16 - 28.594 what are we doing to expand besides apprenticeships which I think are amazing I
01:16 - 30.138 personally want to be a welder someday
01:16 - 33.358 and what are we doing to expand
01:16 - 38.038 those programs for plumbers for electricians for sheet metal
01:16 - 42.268 for h back what do we doing to expand those programs because you
01:16 - 43.708 you cannot bind them
01:16 - 44.608 they are
01:16 - 47.062 it's so hard to get a treats.
01:16 - 49.708 By me for little home project but
01:16 - 51.508 even the big projects for the
01:16 - 53.488 struggling to get them in those are
01:16 - 55.778 good paying jobs
01:16 - 58.418 and I I hate when people say.
01:16 - 00.098 They're good paying job
01:17 - 00.658 really good
01:17 - 05.398 jobs and wealth and there's a lot of you know kids that one I have a young man that
01:17 - 08.668 started off as a union electrician and slowly
01:17 - 10.438 built up his resume and
01:17 - 13.378 now he's just opened his own shop so there's a lot of
01:17 - 16.468 possibility there what are we doing to expand that
01:17 - 18.868 training there sure are so so again
01:17 - 21.014 pre-apprenticeship programs are great opportunities
01:17 - 22.718 to get into that when you're in high school
01:17 - 26.584 I know the department of education as well as the state board of higher education is
01:17 - 29.878 looking at middle school and making sure that outreach is happening early enough
01:17 - 32.284 so that young people by the time they get to high school
01:17 - 34.048 have a sense of what classes to choose
01:17 - 35.638 one of the gaps
01:17 - 38.668 that was identified for me when I first started this job
01:17 - 42.268 was how hard it is for some young people
01:17 - 44.728 in certain parts of the state to be able to
01:17 - 47.398 test into apprenticeship programs right so
01:17 - 51.598 in order to get into an apprenticeship program and and and senator kaine can he can
01:17 - 53.128 he can attest to this
01:17 - 58.864 you need to have certain certain basic reading and math skills if young people don't
01:17 - 00.838 know why they need to know Allen zebra
01:18 - 02.108 light when they're
01:18 - 03.668 choosing their classes in high school
01:18 - 07.348 they may not be able to pass component parts of apprenticeship training
01:18 - 08.008 program
01:18 - 10.828 programs or they may not be able to pass the test to get in
01:18 - 15.034 so there have been some really interesting and creative programs I've seen several of
01:18 - 17.638 them both in the Philadelphia area and in in the Pittsburgh area
01:18 - 19.778 to help bridge gaps.
01:18 - 22.352 In the Pittsburgh city schools there is that
01:18 - 24.778 one of the unions is helping to bridge up-skill
01:18 - 27.118 young people you know to be able to to
01:18 - 28.378 take tests successfully
01:18 - 32.104 but to your point that's too late I don't want them to come out of high school and
01:18 - 34.984 then have to take a summer program to to be able to get the credentials up
01:18 - 37.953 so being mindful that letting young people know what
01:18 - 40.918 the whole world of options are it's not just college ej
01:18 - 44.884 in school districts making sure the school districts aren't advertising based on the
01:18 - 46.888 percentage of kids that are going into college
01:18 - 48.988 which has been that you know which is has
01:18 - 52.028 been the way schools many school districts have conducted themselves
01:18 - 53.938 it's about making sure that people have
01:18 - 57.298 that young people have bright career futures whatever those may be
01:18 - 02.254 and that's messaging that that we all all agencies need to be really intentional
01:19 - 05.668 about because there are a lot of opportunities and there are a lot of open jobs
01:19 - 07.168 and that's a great question
01:19 - 10.448 thank you so much sorry I went overtime I apologize.
01:19 - 11.608 No
01:19 - 14.638 I just want to build on that too I'm glad to hear you say that.
01:19 - 19.418 Situation a few years ago especially at the height of not having enough nurses.
01:19 - 25.388 Where we had a local ctc having to close down and cancel classrooms full of nurses
01:19 - 27.868 kids who are interested in getting that field
01:19 - 29.278 all because
01:19 - 32.968 they could not find the regular twirly required type of nurse
01:19 - 34.438 in order to
01:19 - 35.888 lead the class
01:19 - 37.438 and you know
01:19 - 39.808 we need to also keep
01:19 - 41.028 as we're telling them what
01:19 - 43.768 good fields we also need to make sure we're removing barriers
01:19 - 44.948 are coming up with
01:19 - 46.358 innovative solutions
01:19 - 48.808 to to meet that need because as far as I know
01:19 - 50.078 we're all those
01:19 - 52.930 those young folks who wanted to be some nurses where did they end up
01:19 - 56.318 they lose focus and something we critically needed and went to something else so
01:19 - 00.068 I I appreciate it's very critical important conversations.
01:20 - 04.958 Up next we have sen carney followed by senator Vogel.
01:20 - 06.578 Beggars to German.
01:20 - 09.208 Madam secretary mr secretary thank you
01:20 - 12.225 both for being here today and thank you for really the
01:20 - 15.058 amazing work that you're doing and half the people of
01:20 - 16.408 color will be very much.
01:20 - 18.008 Appreciated.
01:20 - 21.548 Since we're talking about workforce development today I wanted to.
01:20 - 23.728 Ask you about some of the impacts that we're seeing.
01:20 - 26.694 Of the current federal administration has launched the
01:20 - 29.488 largest may mass deportation program the country has
01:20 - 33.068 ever seen which has caused widespread fear
01:20 - 37.118 among undocumented unauthorized immigrant workers alike.
01:20 - 39.848 We've seen in the department of homeland security
01:20 - 43.238 ease up on industries like agriculture and hospitality
01:20 - 47.438 after concerns were expressed about the impact they were having on their workforce.
01:20 - 52.028 In Pennsylvania immigrant workers are almost one percent of our workforce
01:20 - 54.846 with undocumented immigrants making up about two percent
01:20 - 57.538 of the workforce according to the American immigrate one
01:20 - 58.658 council.
01:20 - 01.528 In two thousand and twenty three immigrants contributed
01:21 - 05.048 thirty six billion dollars in spending in Pennsylvania
01:21 - 07.195 eight point eight billion in federal taxes and
01:21 - 09.928 four point eight billion in state and local taxes
01:21 - 12.118 so my question for you is
01:21 - 14.870 what are the workforce impacts here in Pennsylvania that
01:21 - 17.518 you're seeing from the trump administration's policies
01:21 - 19.408 regarding work visas and image
01:21 - 20.698 detention into portion
01:21 - 24.538 of deportation and what does this mean for our workforce of the future
01:21 - 27.658 so I wish I had the answers to all that and
01:21 - 29.518 you know I think that
01:21 - 30.878 so much and so
01:21 - 32.088 let me say a couple of things
01:21 - 36.154 so much uncertainty from the federal government whether it's about enforcement
01:21 - 38.788 whether it's about h to avi says ht bv says
01:21 - 39.568 I think and
01:21 - 40.246 it.
01:21 - 42.196 Just impacts the workforce.
01:21 - 45.176 I think when you couple that with
01:21 - 46.496 what certainly
01:21 - 49.186 appears to be indiscriminate enforcement of our laws.
01:21 - 52.006 I think what it does is it makes people frightened
01:21 - 57.382 and whether you're documented or undocumented us citizen or resident alien whatever
01:21 - 00.796 the case may be I think if you are afraid to go to work
01:22 - 04.906 or go in for cancer treatments to hospitals or go to a place of worship
01:22 - 07.456 when you afraid particularly in that workforce
01:22 - 08.716 workforce space
01:22 - 11.806 it's bad for businesses and it's bad for workers
01:22 - 13.166 our agency
01:22 - 17.092 department labor and industry we enforce labor laws that don't include immigration we
01:22 - 19.692 don't and immigration doesn't have an impact on our
01:22 - 22.306 labor law law enforcement so we're enforcing the laws
01:22 - 23.116 you know just
01:22 - 26.096 based on whether the law has been violated or not.
01:22 - 28.376 When people are afraid of government
01:22 - 32.512 they don't distinguish between the federal government and ice agents and labor law
01:22 - 35.836 investigators who are trying to make sure that a young person isn't you know
01:22 - 38.416 dangerously on a roof at fifteen years old
01:22 - 42.382 and when people are afraid to talk to government they're afraid to talk to my
01:22 - 46.636 investigators and I worry that people will be hurt and taken advantage of so.
01:22 - 49.136 I think that this is a problem
01:22 - 51.376 and I don't know what the answer is
01:22 - 53.291 but we are keenly aware of it and I think it
01:22 - 56.126 absolutely does have an impact on the workforce.
01:22 - 59.606 Maybe just to build on that with one point.
01:23 - 03.196 I think it's probably premature
01:23 - 07.816 for me to make a general statement about like how are these new
01:23 - 10.606 immigration policies impacting businesses I think it's
01:23 - 12.538 there's great sectoral variability individual
01:23 - 15.146 businesses are thinking about this differently
01:23 - 17.506 but I do think it's like important to sort of
01:23 - 18.586 drill down on
01:23 - 19.726 the point that you made
01:23 - 20.876 which is like
01:23 - 22.786 immigrate ants are a really important part
01:23 - 24.016 of Pennsylvania's economy
01:23 - 28.526 like legal immigrants make up seven point seven percent of our population
01:23 - 30.731 they fill critical roles not just in things
01:23 - 32.926 like agriculture and hospitality of course but
01:23 - 36.442 they're like starting some of the most innovative companies in the country and in the
01:23 - 38.476 state in the country of course like duolingo
01:23 - 40.196 in Pittsburgh for example.
01:23 - 41.386 The driving technological
01:23 - 42.016 hansman
01:23 - 43.526 and regular driving
01:23 - 44.576 some of the growth
01:23 - 46.346 in particular we're seeing.
01:23 - 47.736 In the eastern part of the state
01:23 - 50.116 in terms of population and economic growth so
01:23 - 53.336 like I think if you just take a dispassionate look at the data.
01:23 - 58.586 Legal immigrants are a really critical part of Pennsylvania's economic success.
01:23 - 00.386 Thanks for that
01:24 - 02.756 shift gears very quickly and.
01:24 - 05.516 We have a massive housing shortage in Pennsylvania
01:24 - 07.589 which poses a challenge for growing our workforce
01:24 - 09.586 and attracting new businesses and workers
01:24 - 13.106 because basically there are in the homes for up.
01:24 - 17.386 The house ball without displacement and skyrocketing
01:24 - 18.506 home prices
01:24 - 21.736 we also have a depressed home building industry and workforce as the great
01:24 - 23.476 recession housing bubble
01:24 - 25.706 this workforce is related
01:24 - 29.266 to but distinct from the building trades that work on larger bigger
01:24 - 30.716 commercial projects
01:24 - 35.086 so what are the current programs and future plans for growing housing construction
01:24 - 36.296 workforce and
01:24 - 38.296 how far do we actually need to go here
01:24 - 39.016 yeah thanks
01:24 - 40.366 for the question and
01:24 - 41.726 look it was.
01:24 - 44.426 A lot of work and a lot of.
01:24 - 46.246 Important partnering
01:24 - 50.266 that led to the release of the governor's housing action plan earlier this year
01:24 - 54.406 which among other things outlines this the size of the CIA challenge we're facing
01:24 - 56.366 in like in rough terms.
01:24 - 58.816 Between now and twenty thirty five given
01:24 - 02.146 sort of projected population growth and projected housing growth
01:25 - 02.776 rate of
01:25 - 04.336 one hundred and eighty five thousand
01:25 - 06.746 housing units short in Pennsylvania
01:25 - 07.246 and
01:25 - 09.544 this is a problem we want to solve aggressively
01:25 - 11.236 and of course the budget has a bunch of
01:25 - 13.646 components are but on the workforce side.
01:25 - 18.112 We heard in round tables all across Pennsylvania from developers from local
01:25 - 21.286 governments really from everybody sort of exactly what you're saying
01:25 - 25.758 we need more home builders people that actually build houses I think the numbers I
01:25 - 28.402 was looking front of my nose so don't quote but something like
01:25 - 31.187 an average house requires like twenty four people to build it you know
01:25 - 33.856 over over the course of time because a lot of people
01:25 - 34.906 and
01:25 - 38.536 there is a strategy or housing action plan I brought a prop that the actual plant
01:25 - 39.406 and
01:25 - 41.656 that that focuses on this like we've got to
01:25 - 43.306 encourage workforce
01:25 - 46.526 encourage and build programs to help.
01:25 - 48.466 Bolster our workforce in home building
01:25 - 50.956 and we intend to pursue that as part of the
01:25 - 53.396 execution of the housing plan.
01:25 - 54.866 Thank you for that
01:25 - 57.406 we have a bipartisan group of senators who are working on
01:25 - 59.236 legislation around the
01:25 - 01.096 comprehensive zoning reform and
01:26 - 03.376 I'm trying to wait find ways to
01:26 - 04.716 come to an agreement about
01:26 - 06.766 the fact that we do need to build more housing
01:26 - 07.576 that
01:26 - 08.696 that gives to germ
01:26 - 09.076 expert
01:26 - 12.206 Sarah Vogel followed by sen Kim.
01:26 - 14.144 Thank you chairman thank you secretary Sarah
01:26 - 16.186 secretary Walker for being here this morning I
01:26 - 19.642 always we're talking about workforce development here today and I know secretary so
01:26 - 21.826 you worked closely with secretary reading on a lot of
01:26 - 23.186 agricultural things but
01:26 - 25.062 secretary walk you've mentioned a few things this morning
01:26 - 28.886 that I didn't know about that I want you to expand on.
01:26 - 30.056 Which is basically
01:26 - 31.036 the ag
01:26 - 32.366 school part of it
01:26 - 34.406 things like that because obviously.
01:26 - 36.206 I don't know a lot about obviously
01:26 - 36.739 I'm just
01:26 - 39.246 sitting here perking up to more listen to this because uh
01:26 - 40.676 we need so much
01:26 - 41.266 ag.
01:26 - 42.406 Jobs
01:26 - 45.082 and things like that and what what are you doing I guess as far as
01:26 - 45.221 mean
01:26 - 47.031 if a program is growing by leaps and bounds here in
01:26 - 50.006 Pennsylvania we just had fourteen hundred and some kids.
01:26 - 52.816 Farm show this year become new fj members imo there's
01:26 - 55.106 more people in more chapters I want to do that but
01:26 - 55.726 it seems
01:26 - 58.686 we have constraints on teachers as well when that program and things but
01:26 - 59.176 just to
01:26 - 01.680 give you some idea what schools and stuff are what we working
01:27 - 05.836 with your programs that you're talking about shoe or so I've had the pleasure of
01:27 - 08.446 company secretary reading and he may add
01:27 - 11.379 as we've gone out and celebrated new opportunities
01:27 - 13.936 to expand agriculture so we have done everything
01:27 - 16.987 from schools to work program to pre-apprenticeship
01:27 - 19.426 apprenticeship programs to industry partnerships
01:27 - 23.546 that have hypno focused on agriculture so we have done things like.
01:27 - 29.186 We've gone to rodale together to talk about pre-apprenticeship opportunities we have.
01:27 - 33.316 Worked together again what you're talking about the hydroponic growing I'm
01:27 - 34.066 in
01:27 - 35.276 Philadelphia
01:27 - 38.199 and we have a ten date we've been to apple orchards
01:27 - 40.786 or pre-apprenticeship programs in certain areas so
01:27 - 41.926 trying again
01:27 - 45.106 working with colleagues at labor at the department of ag
01:27 - 47.656 to see where the skills gaps are
01:27 - 51.892 but one of the big investments that we invested in over this last year is at three
01:27 - 53.516 point eight million dollar that basement
01:27 - 58.972 in agribusinesses and farms across Pennsylvania where we are investing resources to
01:27 - 00.826 make sure that we are connecting them
01:28 - 04.846 with the the panoply of of opportunities for businesses
01:28 - 06.616 a career links across
01:28 - 07.426 the state
01:28 - 09.466 so making sure that we're working with
01:28 - 12.106 with hr services we're trying to give.
01:28 - 14.926 Make sure that they understand how we can help bridge
01:28 - 18.356 training gaps make sure that we're helping with.
01:28 - 21.164 Succession planning to the extent that we that
01:28 - 24.686 we can do that and making sure that we are.
01:28 - 27.236 Able to be on site to.
01:28 - 31.196 Fill in gaps that they may have as they're trying to.
01:28 - 33.376 Staff their farms or their aggravates
01:28 - 34.856 much of the
01:28 - 37.726 good Morris is robotics and things like that and you mean a
01:28 - 39.256 GPS and
01:28 - 42.286 all those kind of things like that are coming more important in
01:28 - 43.966 the farming community as farming
01:28 - 46.576 moves away from plowing and things like that to
01:28 - 47.446 you know
01:28 - 50.446 using satellites and GPS and stuff to run equipment and
01:28 - 51.736 plant fields and
01:28 - 53.429 robotics to milk cows and all
01:28 - 54.606 kind of things I mean it's
01:28 - 55.126 incredible
01:28 - 56.366 and where are we
01:28 - 57.766 at as far as cooking
01:28 - 00.946 schools and things I never bought a pit pit as a lot of robotics like but
01:29 - 03.876 our robotics things being brought down to the
01:29 - 06.196 local community college the ctc something where the
01:29 - 07.966 average kid doesn't have to spend
01:29 - 09.666 hundred thousand dollars go to pit can
01:29 - 12.736 learn about robotics and be involved in something like this
01:29 - 13.696 is as fast
01:29 - 16.568 and I've learned so much from secretary reading and talking
01:29 - 18.886 about exactly what you're saying just how much is changing
01:29 - 20.986 I am not the expert in that field
01:29 - 26.116 as far as what siti siti he may be doing sort of in that particular space would
01:29 - 27.976 probably be secretary well I don't know if
01:29 - 30.046 secretary soccer can speak to that
01:29 - 31.786 yeah just briefly I think
01:29 - 33.296 sen.
01:29 - 35.426 Like when we think about.
01:29 - 39.592 An industry like robotics or tech like people often think about this are very thin
01:29 - 42.646 layer of let's say like phd roboticists from credit gimlet or something
01:29 - 46.762 but actually if you think about the deployment of robotics it's more sectoral so it's
01:29 - 48.926 about manufacturing it's about ag
01:29 - 49.810 and
01:29 - 51.706 many of the folks that operate
01:29 - 53.566 that machinery or the equipment
01:29 - 54.616 or folks with
01:29 - 59.516 associates degrees or even less training at times and so that connectivity between.
01:29 - 00.646 The
01:30 - 02.036 a real.
01:30 - 04.571 Distinguishing characteristic of Pennsylvania's
01:30 - 06.316 economy which is our excellence in robotics
01:30 - 08.656 and like people getting jobs
01:30 - 10.354 that don't need that credential is really
01:30 - 12.586 important like I know for example out our way
01:30 - 14.602 through the college of allegheny county has a really
01:30 - 16.726 significant Megatron ex department right which
01:30 - 19.276 trains folks for something similar to that and
01:30 - 21.856 would love to to get back with you on
01:30 - 23.876 like specific ag.
01:30 - 26.266 Implementations there because I do think that
01:30 - 29.866 it's important for the state and frankly it's important for
01:30 - 32.776 how we're incentivizing thinking about these industries that.
01:30 - 35.559 We're making the case and making it real that it's not
01:30 - 39.166 just about this kind of like phd lever level it's about
01:30 - 41.836 you know folks at all levels of the talent stack
01:30 - 44.956 you know finding a future in these advanced tech ecology fields
01:30 - 47.692 yeah obviously like I said through the f of a programs and things like that
01:30 - 48.136 kids
01:30 - 50.902 want to come back to the formative so many things that can do but
01:30 - 52.006 you don't need a phd to
01:30 - 54.506 me these robotic milker you just need somebody knows how to
01:30 - 55.036 that's right
01:30 - 56.296 two electronics basically
01:30 - 56.986 fix it if it
01:30 - 58.256 breaks down services
01:30 - 59.603 and that's where you need to go
01:30 - 01.426 to the lower level stuff is
01:31 - 03.532 doesn't need to be the high level stuff you need to
01:31 - 04.756 low level stuff too be able to
01:31 - 06.998 work on these things and it's a good paying job and things
01:31 - 08.842 are obviously going to be needed more and more as it
01:31 - 10.606 comes more online and think yeah Adam in
01:31 - 13.766 and look sorry to interrupt but like like to to succeed
01:31 - 15.046 across Pennsylvania
01:31 - 16.836 actually it's really important that we
01:31 - 20.516 we're successful in both domains like it can't just be.
01:31 - 22.206 The sort of advanced degree level if we're
01:31 - 24.316 going to see the broad based economic benefit
01:31 - 28.036 that's why the manufacturing base is why implementation in these sectors like ag
01:31 - 30.016 and healthcare are so important
01:31 - 30.406 so.
01:31 - 31.776 Thank you I think I'll get
01:31 - 34.226 in touch with you folks thank you mr sherman.
01:31 - 37.706 Thank you centers that are Kim followed by center Phillips hill.
01:31 - 41.936 Boarding secretary Walker and secretary Saigon thanks so much for being here.
01:31 - 44.266 Insider you talked about
01:31 - 46.186 use the phrase hands on
01:31 - 47.576 and.
01:31 - 49.876 I don't think I would have
01:31 - 53.838 cared last year but working with your department I see
01:31 - 57.566 that you are hands on and I'm really grateful for that.
01:31 - 59.746 In my district we had a
01:32 - 01.786 business who wasn't playing nice
01:32 - 03.586 and you had
01:32 - 07.726 picked up the phone just to talk to the person the owner to see what they could do
01:32 - 09.286 fast-forward
01:32 - 14.546 we have a one of four manufacturing companies when it comes to natural gas piping
01:32 - 17.705 where one was very heavily dependent on the business that
01:32 - 20.986 wasn't play very nice but now is not going to shut down
01:32 - 22.196 and will create
01:32 - 24.746 double the number of folks.
01:32 - 28.346 It was a federal state local cooperation
01:32 - 30.256 hands on approach
01:32 - 31.066 and
01:32 - 33.046 to give you credit for another one when
01:32 - 36.106 we were watching how you guys were revitalizing Pittsburgh
01:32 - 36.796 it was a
01:32 - 37.426 huge
01:32 - 38.086 effort
01:32 - 38.626 by but
01:32 - 40.966 my jaws dropped when you said
01:32 - 43.456 we were on the phone with Pittsburgh once a week
01:32 - 45.586 and you know I'm grateful that
01:32 - 48.146 you guys are going to be helping the city of Harrisburg
01:32 - 53.386 you've already put together round tables and not just participating but leading it
01:32 - 55.066 and I think that is
01:32 - 57.946 the key to our success and you can
01:32 - 00.346 talk more about your successes but.
01:33 - 03.116 Moving forward I'd like to.
01:33 - 06.016 See this as like an annual physical exam
01:33 - 08.456 and you have a great perspective
01:33 - 10.935 as to how we see Pennsylvania from the international
01:33 - 13.426 you've talked to people from international countries
01:33 - 15.346 and then businesses from outside
01:33 - 17.116 why do they want to come here
01:33 - 19.426 so from your va vantage point
01:33 - 22.546 you said we have to draw on our successes our strengths
01:33 - 24.836 but also what are our weaknesses
01:33 - 29.126 and if you had a couple billion dollars to invest.
01:33 - 31.096 Yeah right and
01:33 - 34.286 where would that go I'm hearing higher.
01:33 - 37.936 I'm hearing higher education you know
01:33 - 39.116 everything
01:33 - 40.646 works together
01:33 - 43.246 but you have a vantage point of what our weaknesses are
01:33 - 44.606 and our strengths.
01:33 - 45.616 What we'd be
01:33 - 49.466 up here or spots think center and thanks for the kind words.
01:33 - 53.116 You know we are hands on because a lot of times
01:33 - 53.866 that's what it takes
01:33 - 55.016 those two efforts are
01:33 - 56.716 are great examples and
01:33 - 57.076 and
01:33 - 00.506 have worked with many of your colleagues in similar ways thank you.
01:34 - 02.026 In this spirit of.
01:34 - 04.942 Honoring I think the intent of the hearing chairman I'll
01:34 - 06.386 maybe like focus
01:34 - 10.036 my answer on the workforce elements of what you're saying I do think there's a lot
01:34 - 11.636 to like about.
01:34 - 14.026 Pennsylvania I guess I guess let me see this on
01:34 - 16.136 what we're seeing internationally.
01:34 - 19.366 Why we're seeing success closing some of these
01:34 - 22.006 particularly large scale higher proof filed deals that.
01:34 - 25.796 I think if we're being honest Pennsylvania have not really been competing for
01:34 - 28.096 in recent years and
01:34 - 30.166 a lot of that has to do with our people
01:34 - 34.616 let me give some like macro stats and then some micro on the macro
01:34 - 36.026 and.
01:34 - 38.146 Our economy is growing
01:34 - 40.016 in spite of significant.
01:34 - 41.846 National headwinds
01:34 - 44.256 here here's a couple of stats that are pretty interesting
01:34 - 47.246 Pennsylvania added more jobs in two thousand and twenty five
01:34 - 50.216 than every state but north Carolina and Texas.
01:34 - 53.651 As a team I was like you need to triple check that because that is
01:34 - 56.486 almost like a strange credulity it's true.
01:34 - 00.136 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are among the top fifteen metros em essays
01:35 - 02.446 in absolute job growth in the country
01:35 - 05.276 Philadelphia is number three behind new York and Charlotte.
01:35 - 06.566 We are seeing
01:35 - 08.866 some real dynamism in our economy
01:35 - 11.186 and I think it's because of.
01:35 - 12.236 A lot of different stuff.
01:35 - 14.236 A more competitive approach and
01:35 - 15.106 and
01:35 - 15.916 you know
01:35 - 18.508 programs like pa sites which you all have supported that
01:35 - 20.572 have enabled us to close some of these big deals but
01:35 - 23.366 ultimately businesses aren't going to go somewhere
01:35 - 25.066 where they can't find great people
01:35 - 26.516 and.
01:35 - 28.636 I have long believed in I
01:35 - 32.066 see it now true in the global stage that.
01:35 - 34.036 Our biggest strength is our people
01:35 - 35.906 and that means
01:35 - 36.886 having
01:35 - 39.746 the number for a set of research universities in
01:35 - 42.526 terms of federal research output across the state
01:35 - 44.116 it means having
01:35 - 45.526 you know some of the best
01:35 - 46.876 Felicia say the best
01:35 - 48.146 building trades
01:35 - 50.456 in the country like building these facilities
01:35 - 51.076 and
01:35 - 52.066 that means
01:35 - 54.536 this community college system that.
01:35 - 57.086 We're working very hard along with patchy
01:35 - 58.096 to try to
01:35 - 59.566 create like a more sort of
01:35 - 03.896 workforce responsive element but like companies don't locate places.
01:36 - 05.096 Where they can't find
01:36 - 05.866 great talent
01:36 - 07.066 in whatever business there
01:36 - 09.356 and so I do think that.
01:36 - 10.006 You know
01:36 - 13.576 I'm not here to declare victory there's a lot more work to do but I am proud of the
01:36 - 15.376 of the progress we've made
01:36 - 17.896 not just in making the case for Pennsylvania idea
01:36 - 19.816 for companies but in delivery
01:36 - 21.086 and delivering people and
01:36 - 21.766 and
01:36 - 23.246 and capabilities
01:36 - 26.896 but to me it's really people I mean that that is like at the core of
01:36 - 30.592 frankly why we do this in the first place white white state governments or even in
01:36 - 34.336 this business and more often than not it comes down to people you know
01:36 - 37.736 when you're talking to a company making a location decision to.
01:36 - 39.196 Thank you
01:36 - 40.766 thank you mr chairman.
01:36 - 43.346 Thank you senator or a
01:36 - 46.316 center or Phillips hill fall by sender Haywood.
01:36 - 48.926 Thank you mr chairman
01:36 - 53.752 secretary sagres secretary Walker thank you so much for being here today I've really
01:36 - 56.656 appreciated the conversation that you have been engaging in
01:36 - 58.436 with my colleagues.
01:36 - 03.826 I have a question that directly impacts both of your agencies and probably should
01:37 - 06.316 come as no surprise that I am asking it
01:37 - 07.796 so long last month
01:37 - 11.926 the national telecommunications and information administration
01:37 - 14.656 announced that it has conditionally
01:37 - 15.646 approved.
01:37 - 20.396 Pennsylvania's final broadband equity access and deployment.
01:37 - 21.706 Proposal
01:37 - 24.586 we call it bead and the condition
01:37 - 27.856 that the seven hundred million dollars hinges on
01:37 - 31.756 is changing our prevailing wage classification
01:37 - 33.946 from electric lineman
01:37 - 35.746 to tele data linemen
01:37 - 36.976 for the program
01:37 - 41.302 for years I think you know very well that I've been advocating for the department of
01:37 - 46.282 labor and industry to make this change and we've heard from industry that maintaining
01:37 - 52.312 the existing classify location will escalate the cost of publicly funded broadband
01:37 - 54.926 projects by upwards of forty percent.
01:37 - 56.216 So this news
01:37 - 59.821 from the nts shows that the federal government is
01:37 - 03.256 really watching how every dollar of that b program
01:38 - 04.786 is going to be spent
01:38 - 10.042 and they want to maximize those dollars seven hundred million dollars for broadband
01:38 - 14.926 expansion is the most that this state has ever seen and likely will ever see
01:38 - 18.226 and we still have vast areas of this commonwealth that are
01:38 - 24.082 complete Internet deserts so at this time more than ever I think we owe it to every
01:38 - 28.886 single person in the state to accept those federal dollars and begin the the process
01:38 - 31.006 of rolling out broadband access
01:38 - 31.396 to.
01:38 - 32.626 Every single home
01:38 - 33.736 that needs it
01:38 - 34.336 so.
01:38 - 39.686 Given that this issue touches each of your agencies I'm hoping.
01:38 - 43.868 You both might be able to provide us with some
01:38 - 47.086 insight as to what you and the governor intend to do
01:38 - 48.016 and
01:38 - 51.886 we sit on the Pennsylvania broadband development authority on that board
01:38 - 53.186 and.
01:38 - 56.128 Pb da the board and the general assembly we've
01:38 - 59.546 done everything we need to roll out broadband.
01:38 - 02.026 We need the gov enter to accept
01:39 - 05.116 the new agreement from n t a how
01:39 - 08.303 will you be making the necessary changes and
01:39 - 11.686 accepting the seven hundred million in federal money
01:39 - 15.154 or will we be sending that money back to the federal
01:39 - 18.176 government along with the jobs and the connectivity.
01:39 - 21.056 That Pennsylvania's really need.
01:39 - 21.736 I
01:39 - 24.376 Thanks for the questions center and lemme start and just
01:39 - 26.596 respond to a couple of pieces but on the
01:39 - 28.715 on the question of the prevailing wage classification
01:39 - 31.766 rates and things of of course the first secretary Walker.
01:39 - 35.595 Look I agree with you that our work together actually in
01:39 - 38.536 a bipartisan way on the on the bing authority has been
01:39 - 43.216 among the most important if not the most important in my time here like connecting
01:39 - 45.282 all Pennsylvania is really important and as you also
01:39 - 48.206 know senator but maybe just for the benefit of others.
01:39 - 51.526 The authorities actually had a lot of success already.
01:39 - 52.726 In fact
01:39 - 55.276 I asked the team to like pull some old numbers here
01:39 - 57.686 like in twenty twenty two.
01:39 - 01.256 Let's start with twenty three when I started in this role.
01:40 - 04.086 There were like two hundred and eighty seven thousand six hundred.
01:40 - 06.386 Unserved and underserved locations.
01:40 - 07.546 Due to
01:40 - 09.506 market forces frankly.
01:40 - 12.916 I think somewhat unexpectedly but positively the fact that
01:40 - 15.556 the federal government through the bead program is
01:40 - 17.356 subsidizing this sort of
01:40 - 19.276 final locations
01:40 - 19.996 companies have
01:40 - 22.095 seen fit to start to connect those locations
01:40 - 24.136 on their own with private capital that's good
01:40 - 27.496 and as you also know through the broadband infrastructure program bip as
01:40 - 28.636 we affectionately call it
01:40 - 32.692 we've already started to connect lots and lots of folks in fact by the end of this
01:40 - 35.056 year I think we're going to be right around fifty thousand
01:40 - 37.066 new locations connected so
01:40 - 38.596 the bead part
01:40 - 39.526 and
01:40 - 43.216 is a much smaller universe than it had been even a year or two ago which is good
01:40 - 45.286 right as it is at one hundred and thirty thousand
01:40 - 49.076 homes or so I'm using rough numbers here and there he knows well.
01:40 - 50.806 What I will say is
01:40 - 53.716 why we of course are aware of the.
01:40 - 56.116 Conditional approval and the
01:40 - 57.496 sort of verbal
01:40 - 59.790 condition that you refer to.
01:41 - 03.832 We have not yet received specific language or award conditions for the federal
01:41 - 05.506 government's it's it's difficult for
01:41 - 08.056 me to serve respond specifically on that point
01:41 - 11.992 we're actually tracking this very closely and I do I will just make one final point
01:41 - 13.336 and then secretary Walker can talk about the
01:41 - 15.160 classification piece which as you point out is
01:41 - 19.526 not in the purview of the authority itself which is like our part of this.
01:41 - 24.136 The seven hundred and eleven million dollars refers to specific projects
01:41 - 25.606 all across the state with
01:41 - 29.366 different technologies different providers that you of course know this well.
01:41 - 30.436 Those
01:41 - 33.796 dollars are booked at the current
01:41 - 35.806 that is to say higher wage rate
01:41 - 36.766 so.
01:41 - 38.996 At seven hundred and eleven million.
01:41 - 41.986 We can connect those hundred and thirty thousand homes
01:41 - 44.626 and get to I think all our goal which is zero
01:41 - 47.686 right zero broadband serviceable locations unconnected
01:41 - 48.976 here in
01:41 - 50.156 Pennsylvania and have.
01:41 - 50.944 Yup
01:41 - 53.855 once we receive this information from the federal government will work
01:41 - 54.844 quickly to
01:41 - 55.964 get this done
01:41 - 57.825 our our intention of course is to connect every
01:41 - 59.769 pennsylvanian that that's long been our intention
01:41 - 04.474 I think it's really important and this is seven hundred million dollars
01:42 - 07.984 it is a once in a lifetime opportunity we pay federal taxes
01:42 - 09.974 all of our constituents
01:42 - 13.204 and and to turn down this money because
01:42 - 14.824 we're not willing to make
01:42 - 18.184 those changes I think would be a huge mistake and
01:42 - 20.614 according to industry forecast we
01:42 - 23.714 can expect net nationwide over sixty thousand new
01:42 - 27.364 jobs and with Pennsylvania being one of the largest
01:42 - 29.834 states in terms of.
01:42 - 33.784 Those dollars is flowing and we can expect that many of those
01:42 - 34.984 jobs you know that
01:42 - 38.434 high volume of immediate new construction jobs
01:42 - 40.894 and also lineman jobs
01:42 - 42.394 they'll be coming our way
01:42 - 45.104 and I wouldn't want to lose that opportunity
01:42 - 48.154 either for jobs or connectivity and so
01:42 - 51.334 really appreciate getting us to that conclusion in the the other
01:42 - 52.294 thought is
01:42 - 54.779 we're not in a position to be subsidizing seven
01:42 - 57.544 hundred million dollars into this budget so
01:42 - 01.994 appreciate it very much I see my time is up thank you mr chairman.
01:43 - 03.194 Etc.
01:43 - 06.524 Cetera he would follow by sen Dutch.
01:43 - 08.374 Thank you and
01:43 - 09.974 welcome everyone.
01:43 - 13.034 So you.
01:43 - 16.714 May not know surgery Walker are many conversations about the
01:43 - 19.214 under employment Jones.
01:43 - 22.954 Remote district we've got a number of people who are making
01:43 - 26.774 twelve thirteen fourteen an hour.
01:43 - 28.504 And
01:43 - 30.434 who are underemployed.
01:43 - 32.594 I looked at the.
01:43 - 34.924 Bureau of labor statistics the bureau of labor
01:43 - 36.044 statistics.
01:43 - 39.424 Which under the new administration sure it's accurate but
01:43 - 41.314 it did share that the
01:43 - 44.714 Pennsylvania unemployment rate is about four point three
01:43 - 46.454 but the underemployment
01:43 - 50.894 which is used six number was about seven and seven point three so.
01:43 - 56.444 I would like to get a better understanding of how.
01:43 - 59.974 The workforce programs can be organized.
01:44 - 02.840 For people who cannot come into a career
01:44 - 06.614 link or other location between nine and five.
01:44 - 11.114 Because that's the time they're working under employee situation.
01:44 - 14.054 How can we arrange some
01:44 - 16.574 different flexibility for access.
01:44 - 18.644 Senator
01:44 - 20.474 this is such an important issue and you and I
01:44 - 24.034 have have had conversations about this before and
01:44 - 25.834 we need to be more flexible
01:44 - 30.670 and we are happy to continue to work with you to find ways on Saturdays or evenings
01:44 - 32.308 to be able to meet the needs of the people or
01:44 - 34.114 the community because after all that's what
01:44 - 35.464 we need to be doing
01:44 - 38.344 and and there are great operate unity's as we
01:44 - 42.310 both spend time at career links together we know the wonderful opportunities there
01:44 - 45.094 there but we need to make sure that they're accessible to people
01:44 - 48.754 and that people have the resources they need to be able to take advantage of this
01:44 - 52.874 resources so I look forward to continuing conversations about the center.
01:44 - 54.434 Thank you.
01:44 - 57.704 My second question on this workforce development
01:44 - 00.134 the conversation is.
01:45 - 01.714 How are we
01:45 - 02.834 honoring
01:45 - 06.164 those in the workforce now.
01:45 - 08.884 And that is we want to develop it but
01:45 - 10.144 I've got people making
01:45 - 15.254 eight and a quarter nine a quarter to quarter level recorded twelve and a quarter.
01:45 - 19.354 That is not honoring the existing workforce
01:45 - 22.874 hard working people being paid poverty pay.
01:45 - 24.164 So.
01:45 - 27.574 What do you what would you see as the impact on terms of
01:45 - 28.784 honoring
01:45 - 30.794 the current workforce.
01:45 - 32.084 By raising the minimum
01:45 - 33.224 wage.
01:45 - 40.720 I'm happy I'm sure secretary sanger has some thoughts as well you know it's we hear a
01:45 - 44.260 lot of conversations about how good it is for the economy and it is amiss can be if
01:45 - 47.854 we fully implemented a fifteen dollar an hour minimum wage right now
01:45 - 48.544 eighty
01:45 - 50.824 million extra into our general fund
01:45 - 51.754 and
01:45 - 55.594 more people working is is good for local communities local businesses
01:45 - 59.674 but it's also a matter to your point of dignity it is
01:45 - 03.824 incredible to me that there are people who work full time.
01:46 - 04.954 Fulltime
01:46 - 05.974 and make
01:46 - 07.894 fifteen thousand eighty dollars a year the
01:46 - 10.464 reason that matters is because that's below the poverty line
01:46 - 11.284 it is.
01:46 - 12.154 I
01:46 - 17.014 My personal thought it's inexcusable in this society that people could work full time
01:46 - 21.724 and still not be able to to pay for basic needs and have to rely on public support
01:46 - 23.824 so it is a matter of dignity
01:46 - 26.914 and in conjunction with raising the minimum wage
01:46 - 30.910 making sure that we have the ability to up-skill people so that they can get on
01:46 - 34.222 career pathways not just jobs not just in situation
01:46 - 37.924 where they leave one job for the next because it's an extra dollar an hour
01:46 - 41.764 we need to help make opportunities available to all people
01:46 - 43.504 of all colors and all zip codes
01:46 - 47.980 to make sure that people have career pathways so that they know that they have places
01:46 - 50.003 to go to better themselves and and opportunities
01:46 - 52.814 for their families thank you for that question.
01:46 - 54.994 Thank you
01:46 - 56.594 that's all I have.
01:46 - 01.544 Senator Dutch followed by senator capital Eddie.
01:47 - 03.415 German.
01:47 - 06.404 Sooner or.
01:47 - 08.804 Surgery Walker you'd mentioned about.
01:47 - 09.214 It.
01:47 - 10.414 Discussion with
01:47 - 13.163 senator Robinson about the registered apprenticeship
01:47 - 15.544 programs and there are some roadblocks there
01:47 - 16.234 could you
01:47 - 18.544 go into some details about that what
01:47 - 22.274 what are the roadblocks to your experience I'm getting people in.
01:47 - 23.324 So.
01:47 - 25.544 It's always me over your.
01:47 - 26.284 Overall
01:47 - 26.854 thank you
01:47 - 27.754 and
01:47 - 29.644 you know I think that
01:47 - 30.884 and I this is
01:47 - 32.294 my guess
01:47 - 33.434 I think that we
01:47 - 37.960 that many of us all of us have some preconceived notions I I grew up in a home where
01:47 - 40.476 a father my father had a neuro muscular degenerative
01:47 - 43.904 disease so he went from a cane to a Walker to a wheelchair.
01:47 - 46.573 My father had passed in two thousand and nine
01:47 - 49.354 but I still see the world in terms of his doorway
01:47 - 50.864 wide enough for a wheelchair
01:47 - 52.864 and I think that
01:47 - 54.784 you know many people
01:47 - 55.984 underestimate
01:47 - 58.414 the abilities of people who are differently abled
01:47 - 59.194 and
01:47 - 04.360 the fact of the matter is with accommodation we can make sure that everybody has
01:48 - 07.084 opera virtually everybody has an opportunity so
01:48 - 11.554 I think that perhaps has been hard for tradition anil apprenticeship programs
01:48 - 16.784 to consider people who may be referred from the office of vocational rehabilitation
01:48 - 17.954 and it's just
01:48 - 19.064 can I ask.
01:48 - 21.964 Do you guys have placement counselors in the district offices
01:48 - 23.104 anymore I mean
01:48 - 24.274 my dad was one
01:48 - 25.424 and
01:48 - 25.984 but
01:48 - 28.124 my my point is.
01:48 - 28.384 The
01:48 - 30.546 placement counselors what my dad he devoted
01:48 - 33.334 himself to because he had broken his back over your
01:48 - 34.150 workers'
01:48 - 34.504 comp
01:48 - 36.494 helped him get his degree.
01:48 - 41.620 And he was devoting with breaking down those types of barriers and getting through to
01:48 - 44.974 industry and his retention rate over five years where
01:48 - 46.264 after five years
01:48 - 49.504 the number because he was going into the jobs he was going into the
01:48 - 50.894 workforces
01:48 - 55.424 are we not doing that with the workforce or the apprentice program
01:48 - 56.314 locations
01:48 - 58.305 or we're not doing that.
01:48 - 01.621 So there is certainly counseling happening individual
01:49 - 04.504 counseling the the issue is just getting the programs
01:49 - 06.608 to work with over year.
01:49 - 07.904 I and I that
01:49 - 10.354 again that's a personal passion of mine so I'm
01:49 - 11.944 am starting to try to break
01:49 - 12.664 yeah
01:49 - 15.845 so maybe we can both start making some phone calls that would be great
01:49 - 18.724 but I think that it's one of those things at once we show
01:49 - 19.144 how
01:49 - 22.144 that something is possible it often becomes a
01:49 - 23.284 snowball effect
01:49 - 23.824 so
01:49 - 25.204 I would love
01:49 - 28.294 for us to talk about this more because I think it's just
01:49 - 30.754 really important that these
01:49 - 33.794 key programs that get people into.
01:49 - 36.814 A really solid family sustaining jobs I
01:49 - 39.194 zippo nk face up in Bradford
01:49 - 41.534 they were some of my dad's favorite.
01:49 - 44.984 Workers because once we got those people in there.
01:49 - 46.304 They.
01:49 - 46.894 They worked
01:49 - 48.584 right and.
01:49 - 49.264 So.
01:49 - 49.684 I
01:49 - 51.971 We need to make sure that the non just the
01:49 - 54.904 businesses but the training the apprentice programs
01:49 - 56.264 start learning what.
01:49 - 01.144 We have such success in businesses and getting our folks from overran and a shout out
01:50 - 04.454 to the first lady who has really made a passion of making.
01:50 - 08.140 Opportunities for individuals with disabilities she's really opened a number of doors
01:50 - 09.804 for us and we're we're excited about that
01:50 - 14.320 but it's the apprenticeship programs that I just want to get people into I would love
01:50 - 17.264 to follow up with you and see if we can figure out how to get this done i.
01:50 - 18.914 Any ideas.
01:50 - 21.184 I want to go
01:50 - 22.334 to something else my
01:50 - 24.854 my prepare questions a lot of people already asked but
01:50 - 26.324 I'm going to
01:50 - 28.024 one other area we touched on
01:50 - 29.144 the.
01:50 - 29.884 Trade
01:50 - 33.854 programs within the middle schools I
01:50 - 36.184 have a st Mary's high school
01:50 - 38.036 st Mary's of redford high schools are very
01:50 - 40.024 active was at to working with her career unity's
01:50 - 41.704 got a challenge coin here for the
01:50 - 43.894 eight a program the suicide awareness
01:50 - 49.244 that the st Mary's kids did in conjunction with press metal industries in that.
01:50 - 50.984 The.
01:50 - 54.194 Elk and Cameron suicide prevention task force.
01:50 - 57.614 The neat thing is with those programs.
01:50 - 59.114 They.
01:51 - 01.684 There's so many different elements
01:51 - 05.504 to having trades taught in the middle schools.
01:51 - 07.445 They get their hands on things they're doing
01:51 - 10.334 hands on training they're learning skills.
01:51 - 13.292 That use different parts of the brain that you
01:51 - 16.274 don't get in a traditional classroom environment
01:51 - 19.274 and making the connections between
01:51 - 21.554 the theory and application
01:51 - 25.654 are huge and when you get a young person at that age
01:51 - 26.764 doing it
01:51 - 28.124 I think.
01:51 - 29.014 It.
01:51 - 30.694 It starts their brain working
01:51 - 31.874 towards that
01:51 - 32.404 in a way
01:51 - 34.214 that is.
01:51 - 37.454 It's going to benefit them for years.
01:51 - 39.784 The drafting course that I took
01:51 - 43.264 when I was in seventh or eighth grade I can't remember which
01:51 - 46.774 along with the applied physics that I learned
01:51 - 48.484 in high later in high school
01:51 - 50.344 when I got into doing
01:51 - 52.394 accident reconstruction
01:51 - 57.934 the ability to use a three sided ruler and do square scale diagrams and all that.
01:51 - 59.592 Interred.
01:51 - 00.242 At.
01:52 - 02.742 Vandenberg when I was doing.
01:52 - 05.772 Construction and design for that.
01:52 - 06.572 Not
01:52 - 09.062 involved with the construction and design things
01:52 - 12.162 I was able to read blueprints and do things that.
01:52 - 15.242 That and brought stuff up I was able to be
01:52 - 16.992 an active contributor
01:52 - 19.412 there you don't realize a lot of the time
01:52 - 21.942 how much that it.
01:52 - 24.062 Gives you a basis when you get.
01:52 - 26.892 Later on in your career
01:52 - 29.982 but they're critical and they.
01:52 - 35.562 Like I said it gets a brain function in a way that I've found very beneficial so.
01:52 - 37.362 Thank you.
01:52 - 39.252 Thank you senator
01:52 - 43.302 up next senator capital letty followed by senator street.
01:52 - 47.982 Oh.
01:52 - 49.992 Huh.
01:52 - 51.672 Secretariat
01:52 - 52.292 here
01:52 - 53.772 too.
01:52 - 55.619 The.
01:52 - 56.252 First
01:52 - 57.492 being.
01:52 - 59.312 Chair of the judiciary committee
01:52 - 00.552 you often think about
01:53 - 03.132 reentering books like for individual.
01:53 - 04.722 Houses or
01:53 - 06.882 opportunities and.
01:53 - 09.512 Learning while you're incarcerated to help ensure
01:53 - 10.326 they have jobs
01:53 - 11.222 they need
01:53 - 13.832 our care and ensure they
01:53 - 17.172 are able to return to society in a productive way.
01:53 - 19.092 Ira
01:53 - 19.772 charitable
01:53 - 21.572 opportunities exist as
01:53 - 24.152 barriers we might be able to help knock down
01:53 - 26.112 bulk support.
01:53 - 31.782 Opportunities that are available for non traditional people like those randomized by.
01:53 - 34.266 Thank you senator I'm going to hop on that question
01:53 - 36.692 first now turn it over to secretary sanger so
01:53 - 38.942 the reentry space is one that is
01:53 - 39.422 is.
01:53 - 42.387 We are really committed to to making a difference and
01:53 - 47.258 we have been able to get our skills up learning program which is our ditch a little
01:53 - 49.590 platform that has over seven thousand training
01:53 - 52.202 modules over one hundred and fifty of them result
01:53 - 54.242 in or lead to an
01:53 - 58.422 industry recognized credentials we've been able to get those into for
01:53 - 03.308 state and county correctional facilities as well as twenty seven juvenile facilities
01:54 - 06.662 is on the safe list so we're able to start getting people connected
01:54 - 08.492 with key career training early on
01:54 - 12.332 we also have piloted programs with four of our local areas
01:54 - 15.872 on Lancaster south central Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
01:54 - 20.798 where we have been able to really get our career link services active with people
01:54 - 23.129 early on so these are folks that are in community
01:54 - 25.262 corrections facilities or halfway houses
01:54 - 27.792 to make sure that we're correct connecting them I'm with
01:54 - 29.472 birth certificates if they need them.
01:54 - 31.832 Making sure that we're getting them I
01:54 - 33.122 training that may be
01:54 - 37.862 appropriate or necessary get them additional education whatever the case may dp
01:54 - 43.478 as well as help them with supportive services so that they can then move into a fair
01:54 - 48.032 chance employers and we can work on long term employment and reduce risk activism
01:54 - 52.778 we also were awarded a couple of years ago a large Grant and nine point five million
01:54 - 55.202 dollar Grant from the us department of labor
01:54 - 59.678 and that Grant was called our first step Grant and it's a three phase program that
01:54 - 01.412 goes into the federal prison system
01:55 - 05.072 and starts while people are still incarcerated to see what skills
01:55 - 08.672 gaps they have what training they may need to be able to move
01:55 - 10.502 forward once they leave the
01:55 - 11.222 the
01:55 - 14.102 whole point is to make sure that people are employed and they don't
01:55 - 18.782 re-enter and from there they go to a second phase where we really work diligent with
01:55 - 21.116 lie with them as they're sort of transitioning
01:55 - 23.672 out of incarceration to make sure that they have
01:55 - 25.879 treatment supports that they have housing that
01:55 - 27.962 they had the training they have credentials as
01:55 - 31.532 in again that we're getting them geared towards fair chance employers
01:55 - 35.952 and then once they graduate they then are able to have the supports.
01:55 - 38.072 From from that to program
01:55 - 41.022 awardees to make sure that they are.
01:55 - 43.022 Able to enter a workplace
01:55 - 47.858 we also were very fortunate to get another one point five million dollar expansion
01:55 - 51.722 gray rant on that and what that specifically gave us the ability to do
01:55 - 52.532 was to
01:55 - 54.542 pair people as they were leaving
01:55 - 55.932 the facilities
01:55 - 56.612 with
01:55 - 57.852 pent mentors
01:55 - 01.658 and these mentors are people to talk to every day to make sure that they're in their
01:56 - 04.016 treatment programs to make sure that they have housing
01:56 - 06.632 and the supportive services they know they need to be
01:56 - 07.922 successful in life
01:56 - 10.352 so far that program even though it's
01:56 - 12.332 still in the process of rolling out
01:56 - 15.014 we have been working with three hundred and twenty five
01:56 - 18.332 individuals again across seven federal facilities so
01:56 - 21.992 those are some sort of in all different aspects of.
01:56 - 23.622 The reentry
01:56 - 25.090 population in Pennsylvania there's just some of
01:56 - 28.122 that that's some of the work that we're doing sen.
01:56 - 38.142 Thank you secretary rocker I dunno.
01:56 - 39.335 Factory.
01:56 - 41.432 The Yankees
01:56 - 42.632 are
01:56 - 43.142 now
01:56 - 44.832 showing off.
01:56 - 45.629 How
01:56 - 46.652 neighbor
01:56 - 47.132 our
01:56 - 49.632 recidivism rates are low.
01:56 - 53.022 All the way back.
01:56 - 55.242 I.
01:56 - 58.082 Have about four hours
01:56 - 59.232 are often
01:56 - 00.702 really important.
01:57 - 02.102 Work they are doing their
01:57 - 04.322 live show that the programs were
01:57 - 09.788 yeah that's that's an excellent question that is is certainly part of what we do is
01:57 - 11.282 part of the monitoring of the Grant.
01:57 - 12.882 That the
01:57 - 16.808 federal Grant programs that I was describing are still early enough on that we still
01:57 - 18.555 just have participants who we don't have long
01:57 - 21.762 term measurements it's it's too recent of a Grant
01:57 - 23.252 but we certainly want to
01:57 - 28.182 monitor that carefully as time goes on to make sure that we are meeting the needs.
01:57 - 32.312 Of the folks who are who are trying to re-enter society and make sure that they
01:57 - 34.122 stay in those jobs.
01:57 - 34.982 Or just with a
01:57 - 38.082 couple of seconds left here let me let me add two things one.
01:57 - 41.558 In our economic government plan we actually call this out this kind of critic the
01:57 - 43.562 whole issue of labor force participation rate
01:57 - 45.222 from folks.
01:57 - 47.352 Exiting incarceration.
01:57 - 49.088 I
01:57 - 49.832 Think
01:57 - 51.492 the theme here.
01:57 - 55.082 That I'm gathering and
01:57 - 56.162 you know there's
01:57 - 58.361 a lot we've talked about like underemployed communities
01:57 - 00.625 we've talked about people's disabilities you talked about
01:58 - 01.532 like
01:58 - 07.022 our goal in some senses to create lots and lots of really high paying jobs
01:58 - 10.267 and then it's like all of our job to make sure that
01:58 - 12.752 like all pennsylvanians are are benefiting there like
01:58 - 14.832 we are working really hard
01:58 - 16.662 to grow the supply
01:58 - 19.052 and we're having some real success and so
01:58 - 20.522 efforts like this one
01:58 - 22.322 are actually even more important
01:58 - 23.732 you know in a growing economy
01:58 - 25.040 think center.
01:58 - 27.552 Facebook.
01:58 - 29.622 Maybe.
01:58 - 31.302 Thank you senator
01:58 - 34.572 next sen street followed by senator cost a.
01:58 - 38.001 Virtuous chair.
01:58 - 39.452 Good morning
01:58 - 42.242 thank you all for the work you do and thanks for coming out.
01:58 - 45.672 Sort of building on some of the.
01:58 - 49.362 The themes that my colleague was talking about.
01:58 - 51.732 We want both want to create
01:58 - 54.782 jobs in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania create economic opportunities
01:58 - 58.652 because so many of the others call it quality of life issues are highly correlated
01:58 - 59.042 with
01:58 - 00.432 economic attainment
01:59 - 04.302 and violence is lower in communities where people are doing better.
01:59 - 06.092 Education team it goes up
01:59 - 07.332 can we use do better
01:59 - 10.192 and many of the other quality of life issues tend to improve as well.
01:59 - 14.052 That works when we're both creating jobs
01:59 - 16.142 and creating them in ways that regular
01:59 - 17.922 people can.
01:59 - 19.152 Can benefit from
01:59 - 21.412 and the coordination between your department makes
01:59 - 24.252 a lotta sense and I'm glad you're here together.
01:59 - 25.908 An example of this where
01:59 - 27.552 I see it working.
01:59 - 30.182 Is down at the Philadelphia Navy yard
01:59 - 31.452 where.
01:59 - 35.232 Are tremendous amounts of shipbuilding jobs that are being created.
01:59 - 36.872 Both by hand while inroads
01:59 - 40.172 on hand while in particular talking about investing another five billion
01:59 - 41.057 and
01:59 - 43.112 would need to employ another fifty five hundred
01:59 - 46.592 on the other side of the Philadelphia technical technician training institute
01:59 - 47.222 and others
01:59 - 50.952 are graduating five hundred to six hundred people every six months.
01:59 - 52.742 Taking people from neighborhoods that
01:59 - 56.042 like mine in north Philly and places in west Philly germantown south Philly
01:59 - 57.092 and
01:59 - 58.382 training them to be able to
01:59 - 00.662 make eighty one hundred thousand dollars from work
02:00 - 02.172 welding ships
02:00 - 05.612 that's happening can you discuss how we're make
02:00 - 08.942 coordinating making sure we make those kind of capital investments
02:00 - 12.182 we are also making the investments in programs like p t t I
02:00 - 15.242 to do the job training to make sure regular Pennsylvania can benefit
02:00 - 16.602 you I think center
02:00 - 17.732 love this example
02:00 - 20.798 and actually I was less as I was listening to your wind up with the question this was
02:00 - 22.041 like the exact example I was going to use
02:00 - 23.785 and then you'd sort of brought it up anyway.
02:00 - 26.412 Look in in shipbuilding in particular.
02:00 - 29.192 Roads and now hundred fellowship
02:00 - 30.962 have had a lot of success
02:00 - 33.842 because of a lot of hard work and really strong programs
02:00 - 35.642 you're training the folks they need
02:00 - 37.282 frankly to serve our national security
02:00 - 38.432 right there building
02:00 - 43.152 in the case of roads they're part of the submarine supply chain for electric boat.
02:00 - 44.642 In the case of ha nwa
02:00 - 46.962 and they're currently building.
02:00 - 48.552 These multi
02:00 - 51.002 mission vehicles but I think they have ambition to build
02:00 - 52.212 commercial and
02:00 - 54.392 defense spaceships so these are
02:00 - 58.232 not just jobs this is about you know our economic and national security
02:00 - 00.922 and what they've done and by the way we've resourced them
02:01 - 03.122 roads in particular through multiple grants through our
02:01 - 05.306 some of the programs we were taught about chairman like
02:01 - 07.742 that apprenticeship program foundations and industry
02:01 - 11.492 to grow the number of welders they're creating and they are growing
02:01 - 14.642 like gangbusters it's really exciting to see they've got a new
02:01 - 15.692 and
02:01 - 18.482 expansion on the back of their building with a new sort of
02:01 - 23.312 doc facility so they could ship these very large scale parts which are all hand welded
02:01 - 24.642 that form the sort of
02:01 - 29.532 this is the wrong word but like chassis of a sub deck excuse me of a summary.
02:01 - 30.672 Not chassis
02:01 - 31.352 and
02:01 - 32.492 so I think that
02:01 - 33.932 we've got to just stay on
02:01 - 36.492 like a perfect example of.
02:01 - 38.584 You know welding is very difficult it takes a lot
02:01 - 41.442 of training but it doesn't take a college degree.
02:01 - 44.672 And we have a really tried and true path these key
02:01 - 45.512 really tried and true
02:01 - 48.842 to to train the welders in particular they need us an example
02:01 - 49.862 to grow
02:01 - 51.182 so we're all in
02:01 - 51.992 on.
02:01 - 53.522 Programs like this
02:01 - 55.392 because they create.
02:01 - 57.872 Massive economic benefit for the region
02:01 - 59.988 and for every single one of the people and the
02:02 - 01.852 families that's impacted by this these are like
02:02 - 05.412 hundred thousand a year plus jobs every single one.
02:02 - 07.452 It those are.
02:02 - 10.922 Those can change the trajectory of a family
02:02 - 12.603 and
02:02 - 15.402 to have that sort of intersection of.
02:02 - 17.942 Rejuvenating the Navy yard.
02:02 - 19.632 Creating
02:02 - 23.772 significant economic and tax benefit for the city of Philadelphia in the region
02:02 - 24.812 and
02:02 - 28.712 creating in this case potentially thousands of new family sustaining jobs
02:02 - 33.432 it's a big win one when we're spending a lot of time to try to make sure it happens.
02:02 - 36.212 Thank you I mean look I think it's great as well but
02:02 - 37.362 one of the points that
02:02 - 40.928 what you're talking about folks who may be ex-offenders or just come from low income
02:02 - 45.212 communities and the ptt I component was was the second part of it
02:02 - 47.432 where you have an uplift of
02:02 - 51.962 institutions now training people from the neighborhood who may not come from families
02:02 - 54.312 most of whom who don't come from families that have have
02:02 - 56.352 a history in that who are making those investments
02:02 - 57.852 and the commonwealth.
02:02 - 59.582 Has made investments they're
02:02 - 01.112 both dcd and
02:03 - 01.892 and
02:03 - 03.219 and labor.
02:03 - 04.452 In part part
02:03 - 06.102 because of my encouragement.
02:03 - 09.022 But we're want to make sure that when we look
02:03 - 11.102 at these kinds of projects we make sure that
02:03 - 15.002 we're doing we're making note that secondary investment entry raining as well
02:03 - 16.452 to make sure we get more people
02:03 - 17.852 so get her walk if you want to
02:03 - 19.186 go yeah sure.
02:03 - 20.102 I
02:03 - 24.482 Am not familiar with that particular program but I know that our local area has been
02:03 - 26.979 deeply invested in opportunities and the naval
02:03 - 29.702 shipyard and I've had the opportunity to go down and
02:03 - 32.363 and be at this facility it's you know they're
02:03 - 34.712 just wonderful opportunities and again it's
02:03 - 38.582 these are opportunities where everybody has a chance and I
02:03 - 39.062 just
02:03 - 43.182 am very a big supporter of any programs that get new people.
02:03 - 46.232 Into these kinds of pipelines a family sustaining jobs
02:03 - 48.457 yeah and look at other red lights blinking but like also a
02:03 - 50.738 really good example of the importance of this coordination
02:03 - 54.192 ratio is like federal training dollars there stay training dollars
02:03 - 57.722 there there's the companies themselves there's organizations like pdt I
02:03 - 00.572 like we can play in are playing an important role to make sure
02:04 - 01.682 the people
02:04 - 03.548 get the skills they need the companies have the
02:04 - 05.912 workforce they need to to really succeed it really
02:04 - 07.242 very exciting time
02:04 - 08.648 at the Philly shipyard right now
02:04 - 09.212 one of
02:04 - 11.222 my time's up I just want to conclude by
02:04 - 14.162 inviting you both to come down your next time you're in Philly
02:04 - 17.948 comes down and do a tour of ptt as main campus is in my district they're opening a
02:04 - 20.012 satellite German Hughes's district whenever
02:04 - 22.032 another campus in.
02:04 - 23.642 Senator Haywood districts are
02:04 - 24.822 vital.
02:04 - 26.292 Thank you Sandra.
02:04 - 30.702 Centre or cost a followed by senator Coleman.
02:04 - 34.232 Thank you very much mr chairman and secretaries thank you all for being
02:04 - 36.912 deputy secretary thank you for being here today in your testimony
02:04 - 40.862 earlier today my colleague our colleagues center Anthony William raised the question
02:04 - 43.842 about bio tech and life sciences
02:04 - 45.362 industries in the commonwealth
02:04 - 50.262 my question relates to the innovative pa program that the governor's proposed.
02:04 - 53.462 What role would that pro program play with respect to making investments
02:04 - 55.515 and in those industries but also more
02:04 - 58.352 importantly in the workforce that's necessary to
02:04 - 00.302 allow that program to be successful
02:05 - 02.012 in those industries to continue to grow
02:05 - 04.992 yeah thanks so much for the question senator.
02:05 - 08.052 Innovate pa.
02:05 - 09.252 Is a really exciting
02:05 - 10.052 proposal
02:05 - 11.232 and.
02:05 - 12.392 As you know
02:05 - 13.512 we have.
02:05 - 15.392 Brought to you the last couple of years
02:05 - 18.002 proposals for building an innovation fund
02:05 - 18.902 like
02:05 - 20.382 to give.
02:05 - 23.832 Our departments some funds that we could deploy to help.
02:05 - 27.552 Nurture and grow the innovation base here here in Pennsylvania
02:05 - 29.112 and while.
02:05 - 30.432 Those efforts
02:05 - 32.022 were not funded
02:05 - 33.482 we've actually learned a lot
02:05 - 35.652 and we've come back to you with
02:05 - 39.332 a larger fund one hundred million dollars funded through a different mechanism
02:05 - 41.402 which I know this body has
02:05 - 44.922 supported before in terms of sale of tax credits.
02:05 - 48.012 That has like four are key elements
02:05 - 51.762 two of which are very purposefully focused on life sciences because
02:05 - 52.592 and
02:05 - 55.542 to my point earlier we're investing where.
02:05 - 58.578 We're seeing real success and we have real
02:05 - 01.322 capability in where we see the economy going
02:06 - 03.312 it's like when we see
02:06 - 07.082 you know five ten billion dollars of capital coming into pencil mania
02:06 - 09.432 focused and life science growth.
02:06 - 11.672 That's a signal to an we see you know
02:06 - 16.662 universities like pit of course out our way senator penn chop others.
02:06 - 18.212 Really leading the world
02:06 - 18.992 in.
02:06 - 19.922 Key
02:06 - 22.120 groundbreaking domains in medical research
02:06 - 24.302 this is a place where we we want to focus and.
02:06 - 27.752 In the life sciences in particular I propose azul for innovative ph
02:06 - 30.342 would take a chunk of that hundred million
02:06 - 32.442 and deployed in three ways.
02:06 - 33.272 One
02:06 - 34.142 and
02:06 - 39.312 we need to solve a workforce problem so this is like highly germane to this hearing.
02:06 - 42.822 We've got to solve a workforce problem.
02:06 - 44.042 Both
02:06 - 47.828 in the way we've been talking about it here in terms of like skilled technicians and
02:06 - 51.968 people working in manufacturing facilities but also in sort of leadership and finance
02:06 - 54.122 domains and so we wanted to play some dollars
02:06 - 57.192 to make sure that not just the talent
02:06 - 59.922 in terms of phd level or.
02:07 - 03.812 Scientists are interested technicians working manufacturing town at the business
02:07 - 07.172 in the business of life sciences stays here in
02:07 - 08.882 in Philadelphia in Pittsburgh
02:07 - 11.382 across Pennsylvania to grow companies
02:07 - 13.262 and there are two other pieces
02:07 - 14.372 less relevant
02:07 - 16.612 to workforce but that are important to challenge Grant
02:07 - 17.852 to solve some key
02:07 - 19.172 elements and then
02:07 - 20.972 a clinical trial network work
02:07 - 21.782 and
02:07 - 24.235 but again I think I think realistically both to
02:07 - 26.732 honor the intent of the hearing and and because it's.
02:07 - 29.172 Maybe most important
02:07 - 31.512 you know the people side of this is critical and I think
02:07 - 34.452 plays an important role in our thinking around.
02:07 - 35.732 How to deploy
02:07 - 38.042 you know should the legislature choose to fund
02:07 - 38.942 this innovate
02:07 - 40.382 in pa two point oh funds.
02:07 - 42.551 While I appreciate their response and I think it's
02:07 - 44.762 extremely important that the workforce side of this
02:07 - 47.722 stands up everything else that needs to go on so I think you
02:07 - 51.162 are going to switch gears for secretary Walker real quick.
02:07 - 54.162 The strategic early warning network program.
02:07 - 57.462 Still valley authority can you talk a little bit about that and more importantly
02:07 - 58.922 the type of success at it's head
02:07 - 00.877 working with companies in
02:08 - 02.622 the commonwealth and.
02:08 - 03.332 What
02:08 - 06.878 do we need more of those programs or what can we do along those lines yet still
02:08 - 11.168 valley out of the Pittsburgh area of your area as senator is is just extraordinary
02:08 - 13.232 says strategic early warning network
02:08 - 14.072 is.
02:08 - 17.552 Is part of our rapid response investment each year in like
02:08 - 18.212 what
02:08 - 22.172 sound does in the steel valley authority does is it's able to
02:08 - 25.402 get in and to help businesses before businesses
02:08 - 28.142 go out of business or engage in in mass layoffs
02:08 - 30.722 obviously we're there to also help place people
02:08 - 32.372 when layoffs do happen
02:08 - 32.972 but
02:08 - 36.962 it's sound and steel valley authority are really successful in being able to get in
02:08 - 41.798 and doing the pandemic there was a business up in the eerie area that the strategic
02:08 - 45.938 early warning network was able to get in and help them find key components that had
02:08 - 48.762 been backlogged because of the pandemic
02:08 - 52.722 to be able to retool and to stay in business we've helped with
02:08 - 56.005 financing for countless businesses across Pennsylvania
02:08 - 58.232 for it they needed to expand if they needed
02:08 - 02.228 assistance in doing an assessment of how they were marketing themselves that they
02:09 - 04.862 were falling if they refer finding themselves less competitive
02:09 - 06.542 finding ways to be energy that
02:09 - 09.660 we've even helped businesses with succession planning
02:09 - 12.062 when then aesop didn't work or when they didn't have
02:09 - 16.442 an obvious candidate in the pipeline to make sure that the business that came in
02:09 - 20.102 was a business that was going to stay in the region and maintain that workforce
02:09 - 20.672 so.
02:09 - 24.582 That the whole panoply of business supports
02:09 - 27.311 is still important center and it's so important
02:09 - 29.882 that we make sure that businesses know that those
02:09 - 32.858 assets and and opportunities are there and free of charge
02:09 - 35.162 so they can take advantage of it before they have a
02:09 - 38.802 critical situation that may be harder to rebound from
02:09 - 42.098 and I agree all the things you talked about the role that they play in working
02:09 - 43.958 coordinating all these different things were busy
02:09 - 44.982 at the end of the day.
02:09 - 49.922 It keeps jobs in our region share document the entity to grow possibly or
02:09 - 52.322 like you said transition to another generation so
02:09 - 56.262 all important things to think of an answer thank you so much says Herrmann.
02:09 - 58.992 Thank you senator
02:09 - 00.462 senator Coleman.
02:10 - 02.052 He was chairman.
02:10 - 02.912 Good
02:10 - 04.332 morning mister
02:10 - 08.708 secretary secretary segura invited you on October twenty seventh and again on
02:10 - 11.972 November twelve to participate in a joint public hearing
02:10 - 15.912 of the senate intergovernmental operations and finance committees
02:10 - 20.282 the purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on senate bills two two two and
02:10 - 22.232 nine three seven as well as
02:10 - 27.602 on the commonwealth's policies and practices regarding Grant awards administration
02:10 - 28.472 and reporting
02:10 - 30.872 particularly in situations where
02:10 - 32.652 public benefits
02:10 - 33.602 are provided
02:10 - 34.812 to private
02:10 - 35.862 interests
02:10 - 39.272 your office info armed us you were unavailable for the first date
02:10 - 41.102 that was proposed but we didn't receive
02:10 - 42.302 a response
02:10 - 45.462 to my follow up message offering two alternative
02:10 - 46.952 dates I'd like to extend
02:10 - 48.402 another opportunity
02:10 - 49.412 today
02:10 - 50.617 would you
02:10 - 52.172 will you commit to
02:10 - 54.572 participating in a hearing on the issue in April or may
02:10 - 57.152 and will you work with my office to identify a suit
02:10 - 58.294 time for
02:10 - 59.861 the finance committee in the inner governmental
02:10 - 01.485 operations committee to hold this hearing
02:11 - 03.642 yeah thanks for the question.
02:11 - 04.722 I do want to just
02:11 - 07.652 know we're invited here to talk about workforce development
02:11 - 09.248 I'll get to the question I do want to
02:11 - 10.382 I want to try to keep us
02:11 - 13.232 I've tried hard to sort of anything secretary to
02:11 - 17.312 keep us focused on workforce development questions I'd be happy to have the team
02:11 - 21.732 you know follow up with you after the hearing to explore whether that's possible sir.
02:11 - 26.342 You need to come to the earring when you didn't understand
02:11 - 27.872 we need to get your testimony it
02:11 - 30.212 is it's crucial that we do that so.
02:11 - 31.602 I
02:11 - 34.412 And we'd like you to do that voluntarily as well
02:11 - 36.068 be happy to follow a producer
02:11 - 37.832 on the topic of workforce development
02:11 - 39.252 we've heard a lot
02:11 - 39.902 about
02:11 - 41.772 how both of your departments
02:11 - 44.622 are working with union apprenticeship programs.
02:11 - 46.722 Could you give us.
02:11 - 47.772 Some insight
02:11 - 49.232 into how you're partnering with
02:11 - 50.892 all.
02:11 - 56.432 Of the open shop contractors who have established apprenticeship programs as well
02:11 - 58.442 and so often we just wanted
02:11 - 58.982 seems
02:11 - 03.992 very hip to talk about just the unions but I hear from folks in my district who are
02:12 - 06.392 open shop contract and they feel left out.
02:12 - 09.752 So could you explain how you'll also be working with them
02:12 - 10.202 yes
02:12 - 12.312 maybe I could I could start.
02:12 - 14.418 We got to secretary Walker here and
02:12 - 16.068 look our apprenticeship program
02:12 - 18.318 as you know foundations and industry is
02:12 - 20.364 a three million dollar program not huge you
02:12 - 22.308 know up to two hundred thousand dollar grants
02:12 - 23.358 this isn't
02:12 - 24.468 open
02:12 - 25.768 award process
02:12 - 26.998 eligible
02:12 - 29.727 grantees include both unions and nonunion folks
02:12 - 32.268 I would strongly by the way if you look at our
02:12 - 35.578 I don't have it sitting in front of me but I think if you looked at our.
02:12 - 37.158 List of awardees
02:12 - 40.698 you know you would see some union awardees probably many more non
02:12 - 41.848 union awardees like
02:12 - 44.228 community colleges and other others who do this training.
02:12 - 48.388 I would encourage and if you have specific shops or individuals
02:12 - 50.548 that are eligible in your district.
02:12 - 51.748 That would want to
02:12 - 53.510 participate in program like let's set up a
02:12 - 56.728 call with them and our workforce program folks.
02:12 - 00.648 At their convenience to to make sure they have access to the funds are we
02:13 - 03.408 we run these programs competitively we score them
02:13 - 06.078 internally competitively and make awards in that way
02:13 - 06.798 sector
02:13 - 10.104 yeah I was just gonna say that our Grant through a competitive Grant so everybody has
02:13 - 13.502 an equal opportunity to get dollars and you know into additionally I
02:13 - 14.608 imagined to
02:13 - 18.318 think I'm reading your question is building construction trades but our dollars go to
02:13 - 21.918 manufacturing and agriculture in nursing and healthcare in ity there's
02:13 - 24.148 many many many.
02:13 - 26.849 Different sectors they are covered by grants that are
02:13 - 29.118 competitive so certainly anybody that is interested
02:13 - 30.928 is welcome to apply.
02:13 - 36.378 Thank you thank you very much and I am mr secretary I will follow up about
02:13 - 38.328 doing what will propose some other
02:13 - 41.238 dates again again I mean I think this all came to a head
02:13 - 42.768 you know at the oakmont
02:13 - 46.548 everyone heard about all the money the taxpayer dollars being spent at oakmont
02:13 - 49.638 and we found out about like the luxury suite there with the
02:13 - 51.978 seafood on the green Dean and
02:13 - 55.404 a lot of private interests that were benefiting from this and I just have a lot of
02:13 - 57.698 taxpayers want to understand they didn't get tickets to the
02:13 - 00.318 event a lot of connected well connected folks buy tickets
02:14 - 03.168 to that event and I think it just raises the question of
02:14 - 05.088 certainly you you
02:14 - 06.528 you make the point that
02:14 - 10.038 the money to capture these events you know the offer that
02:14 - 12.468 the incentive to go try to get these events there
02:14 - 15.118 give them some cabbage and they'll come.
02:14 - 17.964 You offer that there's a benefit to the community I don't think
02:14 - 18.988 folks are.
02:14 - 23.238 Ultimately doubting that but I think the question of like the actual benefit that day
02:14 - 24.558 about these these
02:14 - 26.058 hospitality suites
02:14 - 27.850 who was invited you know when you go inside
02:14 - 30.658 and you find lobbyists or different groups.
02:14 - 33.109 For example I think that's concerning to taxpayers because
02:14 - 35.328 I have lots of constituents that would have loved
02:14 - 38.988 to be out to go to to you know to that event to the u s open and
02:14 - 41.238 and sit there in the box but they weren't invited
02:14 - 42.618 and so I think it's just
02:14 - 43.898 important that we kind of get
02:14 - 47.038 some answers so we will reach out and we would appreciate.
02:14 - 48.588 Any time to hear from you
02:14 - 49.608 thank you senator
02:14 - 51.386 thank you mr secretary.
02:14 - 56.905 Senator Hughes thank you mr chairman secretary
02:14 - 59.748 Cyrus secretary Walker and thank you for being here.
02:15 - 02.307 Appreciate it and as I tell every all the
02:15 - 05.358 secretaries when it gets to me is close to being done
02:15 - 06.798 okay.
02:15 - 10.558 So hope Springs eternal right
02:15 - 14.038 and just real simple it is just to.
02:15 - 15.078 Piggyback
02:15 - 16.228 on.
02:15 - 18.288 Comments made by
02:15 - 22.078 or questioning made by some of our colleagues earlier.
02:15 - 23.838 Especially.
02:15 - 27.378 In the innovation space is
02:15 - 28.158 plural
02:15 - 30.059 okay is plural.
02:15 - 32.278 I.
02:15 - 34.918 Happen to.
02:15 - 36.768 Represent.
02:15 - 42.768 Numerous spaces and in my district wear that hat that is happening
02:15 - 43.638 okay
02:15 - 46.378 in a very robust level
02:15 - 47.848 and.
02:15 - 50.188 Obviously the science center Carter.
02:15 - 52.978 Which is buttressed by.
02:15 - 54.778 Not just.
02:15 - 59.395 Penn and drexel but answer very important institutions
02:15 - 02.448 pitt penn medicine and a lot of research is happening near
02:16 - 04.288 children's hospital
02:16 - 06.828 of Philadelphia of course drexel and
02:16 - 08.008 everything that's
02:16 - 10.578 coming out of those spaces in their real
02:16 - 13.288 hands on kind of.
02:16 - 16.158 Education that they do their
02:16 - 18.413 community college of Philadelphia has a west
02:16 - 21.258 Philadelphia campus which is closely associated with that
02:16 - 22.728 and so do
02:16 - 25.158 the real issue and and and I'd like you to
02:16 - 27.538 explore a little bit more here
02:16 - 29.848 but I think we're best set for.
02:16 - 33.078 Further conversation down the line
02:16 - 34.498 goes to
02:16 - 36.652 how do we make sure as we're interested in
02:16 - 39.778 attracting people from all over the country
02:16 - 41.428 all over the world
02:16 - 42.778 and.
02:16 - 45.778 That that that that brainpower
02:16 - 46.698 and
02:16 - 49.138 we want to have in Pennsylvania
02:16 - 51.858 but the quo she then goes to
02:16 - 53.748 how do we make sure that
02:16 - 55.978 Pennsylvania innovation.
02:16 - 58.818 Benefits Pennsylvania people
02:16 - 00.408 especially locally
02:17 - 02.748 especially locally and
02:17 - 06.738 speaking specifically about that particular corridor space
02:17 - 08.748 which both of you are very familiar with
02:17 - 10.668 it's not the only one
02:17 - 14.128 but it isn't in one of the premier ones.
02:17 - 16.948 Matches then to come off but in the country.
02:17 - 19.188 How do how do we
02:17 - 22.048 make sure the folks in that community
02:17 - 24.768 get a chance to have short term benefit
02:17 - 26.808 and long-term benefit
02:17 - 30.238 and how do we do the training in the investments
02:17 - 31.878 because these years spaces that are.
02:17 - 33.588 Changing rapidly
02:17 - 34.368 okay
02:17 - 35.028 I mean
02:17 - 36.208 just.
02:17 - 38.508 You know just just rapidly changing
02:17 - 39.808 how
02:17 - 41.058 how do we make sure we
02:17 - 42.658 make those.
02:17 - 45.708 Short term mid-term long term investments too
02:17 - 47.088 so that folks in those
02:17 - 48.828 neighborhoods can benefit from it
02:17 - 49.518 yeah
02:17 - 52.878 thank you senator maybe I'll kick cough and turn over to secretary Walker so
02:17 - 54.438 maybe first point and
02:17 - 55.608 you know this well but.
02:17 - 58.348 It's like we sort of take for granted.
02:17 - 59.578 The.
02:18 - 01.288 Capability
02:18 - 02.518 that exists
02:18 - 02.808 in.
02:18 - 04.878 In particular in your district at penn
02:18 - 07.098 penn medicine and chop and drexel it is.
02:18 - 11.338 An absolute juggernaut of medical research and innovation.
02:18 - 16.168 One of the world's most powerful life science ecosystems
02:18 - 18.268 and.
02:18 - 20.775 That is one of the reasons that we're so focused
02:18 - 23.028 on life sciences and frankly why we've seen
02:18 - 26.398 such benefit here just as an aside
02:18 - 28.367 you know we talk a lot about the significant
02:18 - 30.198 investment in lehigh valley that Lily made
02:18 - 31.488 they also put a gateway lab
02:18 - 35.328 in downtown Philadelphia to take advantage of innovation and capabilities like there
02:18 - 37.528 they see their relationship the commonwealth
02:18 - 40.158 as also very closely anchored like in.
02:18 - 44.068 Philadelphia's like bio tech life science ecosystem.
02:18 - 45.018 It's like
02:18 - 48.178 an extraordinary asset for us.
02:18 - 51.718 But it's really really important and I think to your point.
02:18 - 55.968 That we ensure that the benefits that come out of this asset
02:18 - 58.588 are shared by like all pennsylvanians
02:18 - 00.868 and I think frankly that's important.
02:19 - 05.394 For our economy it's also important politically like I've gotta be able to look at
02:19 - 08.688 all of you senators and say like whether you're senator Dutch
02:19 - 10.498 or your you.
02:19 - 11.838 That this matters to you
02:19 - 14.632 and I would posit that it doesn't a couple of key
02:19 - 16.728 ways and then I think maybe secretary Walker could.
02:19 - 19.440 Could be really helpful in being specific about
02:19 - 21.468 like how the government helps support this
02:19 - 23.938 one way is manufacturing.
02:19 - 27.141 The drugs and devices that come out of our universities
02:19 - 30.238 or don't write to come out of this innovation ecosystem
02:19 - 31.698 have to be made somewhere
02:19 - 33.148 we have been
02:19 - 33.798 and
02:19 - 37.134 I was going to say lucky I don't think it's lucky we have been strategic and
02:19 - 39.408 benefited from a new approach to economic development
02:19 - 43.074 where we're seeing billions of dollars in manufacturing capital coming in to
02:19 - 45.228 Pennsylvania not just in the Philly area
02:19 - 46.308 and
02:19 - 48.828 to help these places grow.
02:19 - 51.572 You know whether or not that exists that specific
02:19 - 54.048 technology came out of pan or some other university like
02:19 - 54.798 that sort of
02:19 - 56.878 lab to market pipeline
02:19 - 01.368 can benefit folks not just with phds in biochemistry from penn drexel
02:20 - 03.459 but who are working at Santa fe you know in
02:20 - 06.448 swiftwater Pennsylvania to Maine facts are vaccines
02:20 - 07.417 and
02:20 - 09.078 and then the other way is
02:20 - 10.588 and I think Philadelphia
02:20 - 12.897 does this well when I was living in Pittsburgh
02:20 - 14.928 I will say I see centre cost stepped out but
02:20 - 17.668 we looked at listening India.
02:20 - 18.738 Yeah
02:20 - 20.508 we looked at the Philly like
02:20 - 24.258 approach right we looked at west Philly in the innovation district so rethought about.
02:20 - 25.818 Pennsylvania's own kind of
02:20 - 27.898 play space geographic
02:20 - 30.558 play and innovation when I was working at carnegie mellon
02:20 - 33.528 and I think Philly does a pretty good job can always do more
02:20 - 37.948 to make sure that like these local benefits through.
02:20 - 43.588 Anything for procurement programs to workforce training programs are focused in.
02:20 - 44.668 The community itself
02:20 - 46.848 and I think that's where
02:20 - 49.108 we can be helpful.
02:20 - 51.918 In partnership with you and in particular with the local
02:20 - 53.058 workforce development
02:20 - 56.418 providers you mentioned the greedy college Philly works all these orgs
02:20 - 58.578 whose job really is to take folks
02:20 - 00.258 I mean we found the eagles
02:21 - 01.758 as you you're aware not to
02:21 - 03.648 cut you off but
02:21 - 04.888 abuses a
02:21 - 05.604 a.
02:21 - 06.719 Friend dialogue
02:21 - 08.208 that the public needs to be
02:21 - 12.838 thinking about we've obviously going through a situation in the city right now we're.
02:21 - 15.549 Our school footprint is larger than the students
02:21 - 17.928 that we have and we've got to figure out how to
02:21 - 19.938 readjust that and the.
02:21 - 21.888 Vastly larger
02:21 - 23.568 than the student population to we have
02:21 - 25.548 we've got to figure out how we adjust that
02:21 - 26.448 but
02:21 - 29.068 also in that course of that conversation
02:21 - 30.438 we need to be thinking about.
02:21 - 33.318 I think it was talked about earlier how we create
02:21 - 34.948 and academic
02:21 - 38.148 institutions sixth seventh eighth into high school
02:21 - 40.098 that can blossom
02:21 - 42.318 and grow these young people new their talent
02:21 - 44.238 to fit right into
02:21 - 47.509 this huge innovation sector that exists right their
02:21 - 50.208 new community it's kind of like how do we take them
02:21 - 51.978 with some might think as a
02:21 - 55.138 a negative and how do we turn turn it into a positive
02:21 - 56.568 I mean it's it's it's
02:21 - 57.978 heartbreaking to see
02:21 - 01.398 all of this brainpower in the economics that go along with it
02:22 - 05.338 oh yeah and not quite figure out how to.
02:22 - 07.432 Turn that
02:22 - 10.408 that aircraft carrier worth of.
02:22 - 15.078 You know innovation back in to look directly into those schools right there
02:22 - 16.668 and how we can make sure that
02:22 - 18.448 and surveys people.
02:22 - 19.678 Are benefiting
02:22 - 22.038 from pets vase innovation I want
02:22 - 23.598 senator Martin have
02:22 - 25.968 to to his local people to be here.
02:22 - 28.232 I had that opportunity Saturday Dutch
02:22 - 29.442 is local people
02:22 - 30.436 Sarah causes
02:22 - 31.712 Kim all the rest
02:22 - 32.252 here
02:22 - 33.152 to have
02:22 - 34.172 and
02:22 - 39.522 there are people you know benefit from the innovation is happening in our community.
02:22 - 40.160 How
02:22 - 41.702 how do we
02:22 - 43.442 more aggressively
02:22 - 46.005 make that a reality yeah it's just two quick points
02:22 - 48.092 a I know we've been talking for awhile about this
02:22 - 53.852 I'm on the state board of higher education and one of the we just put out our report
02:22 - 56.274 and one of the really interesting key components
02:22 - 58.982 of that which is why I so wanted to be so active
02:22 - 02.792 with a workforce component mice that we can be really intentional
02:23 - 04.032 exactly to your point
02:23 - 06.508 so that the community college of Philadelphia
02:23 - 08.582 can be part of that process that they can
02:23 - 12.602 they can adapt curriculum and work with the schools and make sure that those
02:23 - 14.252 the pipeline of jobs
02:23 - 15.332 for the local
02:23 - 18.632 for local people stay in in the local areas
02:23 - 23.402 our schools to work programs are exactly great programs and apprenticeship programs
02:23 - 26.762 are great examples of that these are drawing on local
02:23 - 28.832 local young people in not so young people
02:23 - 35.222 to to get people into jobs on the job training internships externships to go into
02:23 - 37.532 roll into jobs to keep jobs local
02:23 - 41.742 and to keep good jobs local in for the local communities
02:23 - 42.332 and
02:23 - 45.332 I think that any of these programs that we build on
02:23 - 47.822 they can sort of spread the continue a m to two
02:23 - 49.202 center duchess point
02:23 - 52.178 we start talking to young people when they're in middle school to tell them why it's
02:23 - 57.158 important to stay in school as age range to start preparing young people exited at
02:23 - 00.722 the middle school level or should be at the ninth grade the high school level so
02:24 - 04.052 my thought is particularly if you have trouble getting kids to graduate
02:24 - 08.438 let's talk to kids really young and give them hope as and aspirations for their
02:24 - 10.504 future so they know why it's important to get
02:24 - 12.662 an education and to to set goals for themselves
02:24 - 15.275 that that's my purse I daughter of a schoolteacher
02:24 - 17.072 so that's what your education is always good
02:24 - 17.732 but I think
02:24 - 18.392 are the best
02:24 - 20.232 teachers are the best.
02:24 - 22.362 TV show called abbott elementary.
02:24 - 24.912 Shameless plug.
02:24 - 30.968 Original thoughts about that but yeah but listen I think that the earliest we can
02:24 - 33.569 motivate and inspire people to be their best
02:24 - 36.092 person and to strive big and to work hard
02:24 - 37.892 I think that's excellent so
02:24 - 40.035 but from our you know so different the labor and
02:24 - 43.002 industry angle your dollar started about fourteen
02:24 - 47.282 but always happy to work with my colleagues at pd to make sure that we're aligning
02:24 - 50.162 early programs with programs that follow in schools
02:24 - 51.632 and after school
02:24 - 56.859 you're out of school youth and adults who are transitioning but again any program
02:24 - 59.792 they get someone into training that they don't have to to
02:25 - 02.192 spend money on like an apprenticeship program
02:25 - 04.622 that ends with crit essentials and a job
02:25 - 07.892 or has an internship that rolls into a job these are
02:25 - 10.412 these are the ways to fix problems or for
02:25 - 12.962 workforce challenges in communities I think
02:25 - 14.282 it is just
02:25 - 16.442 again and I don't mean to be
02:25 - 19.712 repetitive but I want to make sure that we follow up on this
02:25 - 20.252 alright
02:25 - 22.482 we've got to.
02:25 - 24.272 We've we've
02:25 - 25.052 we've got
02:25 - 26.072 shoot
02:25 - 28.832 Pennsylvania is blessed with
02:25 - 31.452 some incredible innovative.
02:25 - 33.462 Talent.
02:25 - 38.622 And how we can make sure that we're utilizing that once again.
02:25 - 42.732 The coin a phrase that I think is is relevant and necessary
02:25 - 45.122 makers should have Pennsylvania people benefit
02:25 - 47.622 benefit from Pennsylvania innovation.
02:25 - 49.442 Notwithstanding the fact
02:25 - 52.322 that the kind of innovation that is occurring
02:25 - 54.362 is not just this this
02:25 - 55.892 okay which is important
02:25 - 59.262 but it is the medicines that are being developed.
02:25 - 01.655 That are healing people and allowing people to
02:26 - 04.902 live longer and much enlarged a much more thriving
02:26 - 08.822 but we need to make sure that Pennsylvania people are benefiting
02:26 - 10.502 from Pennsylvania innovation
02:26 - 13.352 no matter where that innovation may be occur
02:26 - 14.192 on the map
02:26 - 15.122 Pennsylvania
02:26 - 18.692 those local folks inside those communities need to benefit from that
02:26 - 21.462 we want to follow up with you on that.
02:26 - 23.762 We want to make sure that
02:26 - 24.962 and
02:26 - 27.512 a nose repose innovate two point oh
02:26 - 28.862 that that
02:26 - 33.972 and you know maybe some of those dollars are utilized specifically around.
02:26 - 38.682 Creating and innovating at the pipeline level songs.
02:26 - 41.132 Me just say sir
02:26 - 43.052 I think it's a really important point
02:26 - 44.612 and a really good idea
02:26 - 45.182 and
02:26 - 47.262 it's something we've given a lot of thought to and
02:26 - 48.587 and.
02:26 - 52.532 One of the elements of innovate two point oh
02:26 - 53.832 and
02:26 - 54.692 I do think
02:26 - 56.702 this sort of challenge Grant idea
02:26 - 00.072 where we want to put money in the middle of the table to help.
02:27 - 02.851 What's a catalyst collaboration not just with our
02:27 - 05.492 research universities with companies and other
02:27 - 07.694 partners in the ecosystem you mentioned the science
02:27 - 10.052 there are others that could be an area where
02:27 - 11.522 it makes a lot of sense to
02:27 - 14.372 to articulate a goal along the lines of what you're saying and then
02:27 - 17.673 actually ask our very smartest people and institutions
02:27 - 20.282 that come compete for dollars to try to solve that problem
02:27 - 21.462 that everything is like
02:27 - 23.082 that's the.
02:27 - 24.212 General sense of
02:27 - 26.042 of how we would run such a Grant
02:27 - 27.002 and
02:27 - 28.672 and and this could be like a really interesting
02:27 - 30.496 upon would love to love to follow up with your
02:27 - 32.128 father will be a very good thank you thank
02:27 - 34.142 you both thank you have a buzzer documents to.
02:27 - 37.272 See I talked about Lancaster I hope you.
02:27 - 37.712 Are
02:27 - 39.452 by the way Lancaster exceptional
02:27 - 42.363 momentum in the life science industry in Lancaster county has you know
02:27 - 43.712 a lot of great stuff happening
02:27 - 47.352 while I appreciate everyone for being here today I know it's been a long morning
02:27 - 51.312 of questions and answers but a critically important topic obviously
02:27 - 54.032 with all the things we talked about earlier and I and I think
02:27 - 56.402 if we can can you continue to get this right
02:27 - 58.895 and if our investments also reflect investments or
02:27 - 00.902 commitments back from those we were working with
02:28 - 01.982 hopefully we can
02:28 - 06.552 really try to make a dent in some of this demographic decline too so.
02:28 - 07.752 Thank you
02:28 - 10.772 during your testimony today there were several items raised that required
02:28 - 11.982 some additional follow up
02:28 - 16.142 please ensure that you can respond to the committee in writing if you are able to by
02:28 - 18.118 march eleventh I want to thank each of you
02:28 - 20.462 for providing testimony to the committee today
02:28 - 24.482 the committee will recess until one fifteen pm
02:28 - 26.700 when we will reconvene for testimony by the
02:28 - 29.282 secretary of the budget of the department of revenue
02:28 - 32.142 thank you everybody thank you so my experiment.
02:28 - 59.732 I.
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