Study reveals "spatial mismatch" between workers and jobs in region

Pittsburgh, PA (June 9, 2004). There is a "spatial mismatch" between workers and jobs in this region, a geographical divide that is stunting economic activity, according to a report published by the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (TRWIB). This is one of the reasons that suburban employers are confronted with job vacancies while unemployment plagues neighboring urban and rural communities.

The TRWIB's report is based on a study that incorporated information from both primary and secondary sources, including telephone interviews with 100 Cranberry area employers, surveys administered to CareerLink customers and Cranberry area employees, census and wage data, transit routes, resource directories, and commercial databases. The TRWIB concludes that - in addition to an appropriately trained workforce - accessible transportation, reliable childcare, and affordable housing are critical to meeting employers' workforce needs and connecting workers with jobs. The report outlines proposed strategies for spurring innovation and fostering collaborative solutions.

"Our goal in publishing this report is to enhance partnerships among professionals involved in workforce development, economic development, and transportation and land-use planning," says Gregory G. Greenleaf, president and owner of the Greenleaf Group and chairperson of the TRWIB. "Ideally, workforce needs should be identified and addressed up front, during the economic development and land use planning processes. Having to retrofit infrastructures later on, in response to labor-related concerns, is a much more costly and difficult task."

The study was conducted by the TRWIB and underwritten, in part, by a job access and reverse commute (JARC) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a community audit grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. Other partners included the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, the Butler Township-City Joint Municipal Transit Authority, Cranberry Township, the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, and the Access to Work Task Force of Allegheny County. The final report can be downloaded from the TRWIB's website (www.trwib.org/reports.htm). Hard copies are available by contacting Maureen Frumen, TRWIB Mobility and Workforce Development Specialist, at (412) 552-7095 or mfrumen@trwib.org.

The TRWIB is charged with promoting an integrated and accountable workforce development system for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Responsibilities include chartering one-stop service delivery centers and satellites that comprise the local CareerLink network, establishing performance standards, certifying qualified service providers, and monitoring performance. Board members - appointed by the Mayor of Pittsburgh and the Chief Executive of Allegheny County - represent a diverse group of stakeholders including employers, training providers, labor unions, government agencies, and community-based organizations. What unifies them is a shared concern about the quality of the workforce and the availability of good jobs in this region. For more information, visit the TRWIB online at www.trwib.org.

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