The TRWIB Inclusion Committee is an ad-hoc committee of TRWIB's board and others who are responsible for ensuring that TRWIB's membership and work reflects, represents, and values all people and communities of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The group is working to organize a series of focus groups with different communities, including:
• Generations (Millennials, Boomers, GenX, Traditionals)
• African American
• Latino
• Asian
• GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender)
• Disabilities
• Professional Women
• Immigrants
• Interfaith Networks

The goal of these focus groups is to learn more about what each of these communities face in the labor market, and how TRWIB research and activities can better serve their needs.

If you are interested in participating in this committee or hosting a focus group please contact Audrey Bode at abode@trwib.org.

 

Donning hard hats and work shoes, teachers and counselors spent three days this summer with local business hosts and learned how academics are applied in the field. "My experience [at Magee-Women's Hospital of UPMC] transcended what I had anticipated," said Jennifer Fox of the West Allegheny School District. "I feel that I am better able to point my students in the appropriate directions. I absolutely loved Magee! I was impressed by all the doctors, pharmacists, technicians, managers, etc. that were willing to take time to answer questions and allow us to become part of their world for three days."

Mike Huber, from Elizabeth Forward School District, went to Eastman Chemical Company in West Elizabeth and to PJ Dick Trumbull Corporation in West Mifflin. "I know I made two great connections with businesses that want to work with our students in the coming school year," he said.

The Educator in the Workplace program is the culminating activity for educators who participated in the E4 program. The experience was facilitated by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and sponsored by TRWIB. For more information please visit: http://www.trwib.org/about/youth-e4.html

TRWIB not only advocates for students' career exploration and experiential learning but also offers internship opportunities. In the past year TRWIB hosted nine interns with diverse backgrounds, interests and academic accomplishments. Working on projects including research, public policy, GIS mapping, database development, business outreach, communication, and administrative support, TRWIB interns had the chance to advance their skills, experience "the real work" environment and create valuable outcomes.



Chunjie Gan, a graduate student in the School of Architecture at Carnegie Mellon University, summarizes her experience in TRWIB as "a great opportunity to develop professional skills through a variety of practical projects. The guidance and advice offered by TRWIB staff was very valuable. The internship was a remarkable step on my career path".

To learn more about TRWIB internship program or for current opportunities, contact: Vera Krofcheck at vkrofcheck@trwib.org or 412-552-7095.

With the generous support of the Heinz Endowments and through the tireless work of local community based organizations, TRWIB piloted an online financial literacy program and trained over 200 participants in the course. The seven module program included pre-assessment tests and post-tests and covered topics such as the basics of banking, budgeting, taxation, retirement and savings.

TRWIB is pleased to report that the post-test scores increased over the pre-test scores in all modules, indicating an increased understanding of the topics. Additionally, there were no significant disparities in the program completion rates based on race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment or household income.

TRWIB continues to provide timely information on regional employers' hiring dynamics, unemployment rates compared to the state and nation, job growth by industry clusters, and demographics of new jobseekers, through the monthly "Special Executive Report".

The latest issue shows a significant increase in the number of first-time CareerLink registered jobseekers, especially among those between the ages of 36 to 55 and those with higher education.

While the unemployment rate is still increasing, the job growth is showing some positive numbers. The largest employment opportunities are in healthcare, retail, IT and banking.

For more information on the regional labor market go to http://www.trwib.org/research-publications/research-publications.html