TRWIB has secured Dewey and Kaye to conduct the executive search for TRWIB's new CEO. As part of the process to develop the job description, the Search Committee completed an inventory to identify important characteristics and qualifications in a new CEO. Dewey and Kaye also met with staff to solicit their input and feedback on the position. The final job description is now posted on Dewey and Kaye's website, and can be accessed at:

http://www.deweykaye.com/mosaic/jobswatch/listings/TRWIB_CEO.pdf

Applications will be accepted through Monday, August 24th, 2009. Any interested parties can visit the site listed above for details on the description and application process.

TRWIB, knowing that public transportation is essential to workforce development, assisted the Port Authority's Connect 09 project and completed a look at job access issues in the region.

The full TRWIB report (the first of two) to the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) analyzes current PAAC routes in relation to job distribution and work related commuting patterns in Allegheny County.

The report presents a set of maps and charts showing disconnected employers (located outside of a quarter mile buffer along current routes) by size, location, and industry and provides information on commute and labor shed. To capture commuting patterns, data on home and work location (based on detailed census track geography), usual length of work related commute and established commuting patterns were utilized. This also includes the top 50 trip origins and destinations. For the full report, please visit:

http://www.trwib.org/documents/PAAC_Connect09_Part_I.pdf

In July, the Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board was featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and on KDKA-TV to discuss the issue of stagnant wages in the Pittsburgh region. An analysis by TRWIB, in conjunction with PittsburghTODAY, said that Pittsburgh employers are not paying as much as those in comparable cities. Wage levels were analyzed from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for specific occupations in 18 categories. Local pay was tracked against comparables in 14 benchmark cities, which included Milwaukee, Detroit, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Click on the links below to view the media coverage:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_635737.html

http://kdka.com/business/Pittsburgh.occupation.wages.2.1106810.html

http://kdka.com/video/?id=60722@kdka.dayport.com

The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County's Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEP) served over 1000 youth from June - August 2009.

Both youth and young adults were served with ages ranging from 14 - 24 years old. The youth participated in a range of work experiences in parks conservation, community development, camp counseling, child care, and internships in hospitals and professional business offices. All of the youth participated in a multi-faceted work readiness preparation and career guidance curriculum which incorporated TRWIB's work ready competencies and was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.

TRWIB serves as the fiscal agent for a $100,000 planning grant from the Living Cities Foundation, a group that seeks to fund workforce initiatives to prepare workers and jobseekers for employment in clean energy industries.

In partnership with The Pittsburgh Foundation, GTECH, Three Rivers Clean Energy, GSP Consulting, and Worldclass Industrial Networks, TRWIB is working to develop the following:

1) A mobilization strategy for the weatherization effort;
2) A completed labor market analysis, including demand by sector for energy efficiency, retrofits, renewable energy, and green building;
3) Defined career ladders by occupation and sector; and
4) Strategies for recruitment, assessment and training.

Southwestern Pennsylvania's (SWPA) manufacturing sector has been a historically significant economic force for the region. It continues to be a vital economic anchor and faces exciting future with the creation of green jobs.

The latest issue of Understanding the Local Labor Market summarizes the manufacturing industry's key labor market indicators on economic performance, talent development and career opportunities. It also highlights the most pressing needs of regional employers and offers some of the best practices at the local and state level. For the full publication, please visit:

http://www.trwib.org/documents/Manufacturing_Publication_Final.pdf