PathWays PA Policy Blog

The Senate is expected to take up the Farm Bill this week, with a vote likely tomorrow. S. 3042 protects current SNAP benefit levels and eligibility rather than adding burdensome requirements (including additional work requirements) to the law. At the same time as SNAP is being debated in Congress, rules changes are rumored from the Administration. These changes could mean that immigrants would not be eligible for green cards if they or their children use benefits such as Medicaid, CHIP, or even the ACA marketplace - even though the immigrants in question have entered the country legally and are legally allowed to use the programs. Take Action:  Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 to share your thoughts on S. 3042.  Here's a sample script: "Hello, my name is _________ and I am a constituent of Senator __________. My zip code is __________. I am calling today in support of S. 3042, the Farm Bill, as it is currently written. Please support this bill but do not allow...

One of the best public/private partnerships, Industry Partnerships for Workforce Training , help ensure Pennsylvania's industries and workers have the necessary skills to compete in the global economy. Industry Partnerships (IPs) are coordinated efforts between the state, industries, and local workforce investment boards that target the needs of regional industry clusters. The role of IPs is to identify skill gaps and other workforce needs of the targeted industry sector and to oversee the design and delivery of services to meet those needs. IPs aim to improve job quality by educating workers in skills that pay well and are in short supply, by helping managers learn from each other in adopting competitive human resource practices that improve job quality and career advancement, and by launching training and career initiatives. Since 2005, more than 100,000 Pennsylvanians have participated in Pennsylvania's well-regarded IP programs. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Health...

From our friends at CLASP and NNSP CLASP and NNSP are hosting a free webinar Thursday from 2:00PM-3:30PM on workforce development systems. In this webinar co-sponsored by the Center for Law and Social Policy(CLASP) and the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), participants will learn about two successful and complementary approaches that states and communities have adopted to help individuals attain skills and credentials, help meet employers' workforce needs, and strengthen the economic vitality of communities. Sector initiatives (regional industry-focused workforce partnerships) customize solutions for multiple employers and increase access to good jobs for low-income individuals. Career pathways connect progressive levels of basic skills and postsecondary education, training, and supportive services to optimize the progress and success of individuals. Webinar participants will learn about the characteristic strengths of each approach and how they can be combined f...

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) , originally passed by Congress in 1998 and never reauthorized, provides a framework for a national workforce preparation and employment system. Improvements on the law are long overdue. One bill, H.R. 803 passed the House by a vote of 215-202. The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act (H.R. 803) would narrow the range of perspectives on state and local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) by focusing on the representation of businesses with immediate and long-term employment opportunities in industries that are in demand and by eliminating requirements that boards include those involved in one-stop delivery or education and training on a day-to-day basis. The SKILLS Act does not meet the needs of different job seekers. The SKILLS Act weakens workforce investment with every amendment it makes. Considering the high rates of joblessness in the United States, we need to invest wisely in the American workforce now more t...

From our friends at the National Skills Coalition : The House this week is set to vote on two bills that would make it difficult for workers—particularly the most vulnerable and hardest to serve workers—to get the training and services they need to get a good-paying job to support their families.  Please contact Congress today!  Later this week, the House is expected to vote on the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act (H.R. 803), a bill to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act by consolidating several existing federal workforce programs into a single $6 billion Workforce Investment Fund, eliminating dedicated funding and numerous policy protections meant to help those most in need to get the skills to advance in the workforce. The House is also expected to vote on the Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Programs Act of 2013 (H.R. 890), a bill that would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from providing...

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 33 YEARS OF PATHWAYS PA! Please join us on November 1 as we celebrate the Adopt-A-Family program and honor the 2011 Trailblazers: Juliet Welker-President, Coldwell Banker Welker Real Estate Kyra McGrath-Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, WHYY Laney Vogt, Adopt-A-Family Advocate QVC The Delaware County Daily Times Yvonne Norris-Former Chairperson, PathWays PA Board of Directors Enjoy complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres as well as a live and silent auction. All proceeds from the event will help over 6,000 low-income families in the Greater Philadelphia Region! Please consider sponsoring the event or purchasing an ad in our program - click here for more details . Tickets can be purchased online . FEDERAL UPDATES USDA SEEKING INPUT ON FREE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM The USDA is accepting comments on the Direct Certification and Certification of Homeless, Migrant and Runaway Children for Free School Meals. The tempor...

While I have been trying to keep up with the news on the latest poverty data, today was my first opportunity to work with it.  As I began to look at the changes from 2009 to 2010, I came across a surprising discovery: the highest percentage point increase in poverty in the five county area was not in Philadelphia - it was in Bucks County.

This Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, please take a moment to tell your legislators about the need for job training and educational opportunities for adults.  While nearly 2/3rds of jobs will require some form of postsecondary education by 2018, 90 million adults in the United States will not be ready to meet those needs . We need job-training opportunities as part of any job plan to ensure that all workers and employers can take advantage of the current job market and help prepare America for the future. Please take a moment to tell your legislators how important job-training is.

FEDERAL UPDATES FEDERAL UPDATES   Tell your legislators the importance of skilled jobs programs   We know that across the country, Americans are looking for jobs so that they can support their families and acheive their dreams.  What is less known is that across the country, employers are searching for workers - but too often they come up empty because they can't find workers with the skills and education needed to perform in the workplace.  We need job-training opportunities as part of any job plan to ensure that all workers and employers can take advantage of the current job market and help prepare America for the future.  Please take a moment to tell your legislators how important job-training is.   To write your legislator, click here .     Support Programs That Keep More Money in Your Pocket!     As Congress takes on the task of deficit reduction, we have a unique opportunity to advocate for programs and servic...

In our previous blog post, we looked at a recent study on the cost of college across the country, and how that cost is declining .  One group this study does not focus on, unfortunately, is nontraditional students.  Instead, it focuses on full-time enrollees, usually made up of recent high school graduates.  Nontraditional students, in comparison, often attend school part-time (or less than part-time), work part-time or full-time, and often juggle family responsibilities as well as work and school.  So, while the out-of-pocket costs for students has decreased for many full-time students, the same may not apply to nontraditional students.  Nontraditional students often do not qualify for Pell grants , for instance, which are seen as playing an important role in bringing down the cost of college. But the needs of nontraditional students are important, especially here in Pennsylvania, where half of all jobs (51 percent) require some postsecondary educ...

In the College Board's latest breakdown of tuition costs for students , researchers have found that while the cost of tuition is on the upswing for students, the combination of grants and loans they receive has actually brought their out-of-pocket costs down .  Total grant aid increased by about 22 percent in 2009-2010, with much of the increase due to Federal Pell grants and Veterans' Benefits . But when it comes to higher education as a whole, even when counting federal stimulus spending, Pennsylvania ranked 6th lowest in state tax appropriations for higher education per $1,000 in personal income.  In other words, only five other states used a smaller percentage of taxes based on income to pay for higher education.  On average in the United States, $6.60 is appropriated per $1,000 of personal income for higher education.  In Pennsylvania, that number is just a little over $4.00. To learn more about the report, you can find it at http://advocacy.collegeboard.o...

Last week, legislation putting the Industry Partnership program into statute passed out of the Senate with a vote of 40-9.  The last step for this important legislation is for it to be voted out of the House without amendment in the next few weeks.  Please take a moment to thank your Senator if he or she voted for the bill.  Below is a sample letter that you might want to use. Dear Senator, We just wanted to take a moment to thank you for voting for Senate Bill 1409, the Industry Partnership legislation. This program gives Pennsylvania the opportunity to increase productivity and competitiveness in our Commonwealth and is highly valued by employers statewide. As you know, Industry Partnerships consist of groups of businesses with similar product markets and skill needs that identify and address their common workforce education and training issues. These partnerships currently include more than 6,300 employers in Pennsylvania and have trained more than 73,000 indivi...

Last week, PathWays PA held a series of presentations focused on community colleges at the national and state level.  Presenters included Vickie Choitz from CLASP and Brandon Roberts from the Working Poor Families Project as well as information from PathWays PA.  For those who are interested, the presentations are viewable below.  PathWays PA's newest report, " Pennsylvania's Workforce: The Role of Community Colleges" can be found on our website. CLASP Presentation Working Poor Families Project Presentation PathWays PA Presentation

Today, PathWays PA had the privilege of speaking at a meeting of the Delaware Valley Grantmakers to discuss the " perfect storm " of policy and economic issues that will be coming to a head by the end of this year.  Among those issues are the end of the Way to Work program , the lack of extensions for unemployment compensation , the need for adult literacy and Industry Partnerships , and the impact of domestic violence in Pennsylvania.  To learn more, please download our report !

Please take a moment to read this article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and then take action on Industry Partnerships! It seems like an easy thing to do -- businesses maintaining links with schools and training programs that provide the skills needed in prospective employees. But rapidly changing technology and shifting needs at the workplace can make it difficult for companies, many of them small and with few workers, to find the new hires qualified to do today's jobs. A Pennsylvania program, however, backed by business and labor called Industry Partnerships helps industries identify their training needs and communicate that to education partners. They, in turn, develop and deliver the training, creating job applicants who show up ready to work with the desired skills. The idea began under Gov. Richard Schweiker and came to fruition under Gov. Ed Rendell. Today almost 6,300 Pennsylvania employers in 20 industries participate in 74 partnerships that have trained more than 7...

Are you ready to take action? PathWays PA now offers an Action Center that you can use to write to your legislators and to your local news media on the issues that matter to you. Legislative Action : Using the Action Center , you can send emails directly to your legislators about the issues that matter to you. We include facts and statistics on the issues, but you get to decide what you want to put in the letter! You don't even need to know who your legislators are - just put in your zip code and the alert will automatically go to the right people. Currently in the Action Center , you can write to your legislators about: Earned Sick Time : Everyone gets sick, but not everyone has time to get better. 2,227,059 Pennsylvania workers lack access to earned sick time, meaning that when they or their families are sick, they must choose between working while sick or losing their pay - or possibly their jobs. If you believe all Pennsylvanians should have access to earned sick t...

(From our friends at the Rutgers Center for Women and Work )

(from our friends at CLASP ) Helping Low-Income Adults and Disadvantaged Youth Earn Credentials and Build Careers: Leading Foundations Speak about Policy Priorities Monday, September 13, 2010 3:30-4:45pm ET Register Now for This Webinar Postsecondary education and credentials are key to economic mobility for individuals and economic competitiveness for our nation. Yet too many low-income adults and disadvantaged youth are locked out of the opportunity to earn credentials and are falling further and further behind. To combat this national challenge, CLASP has launched a new project, the Center for Postsecondary and Economic Success (C-PES) . Join CLASP as they kick-off C-PES with a policy discussion featuring thought leaders from the Ford, Bill & Melinda Gates and Joyce foundations. Each of these foundations has made improving postsecondary access and success a top priority. During this webinar, they'll discuss their specific policy priorities for helping lower-inco...

Please join us! Pennsylvania's Workforce: The Role of Community Colleges Featuring Carol Goertzel, President & CEO of PathWays PA Vickie Choitz, Senior Policy Analyst, CLASP Brandon Roberts , Working Poor Families Project September 23, 2 PM United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania 1709 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19103-1294 RSVP here! PathWays PA is proud to announce a forum focused on the needs of Pennsylvania's workforce and the role community colleges can play within that workforce. The forum is based on a report from PathWays PA that examines the impact that community colleges and other workforce development can have on the earnings of Pennsylvanians. While many students enter college straight from high school, a growing number of students need access to higher education after they have already entered the workforce. "Pennsylvania's Workforce: The Role of Community Colleges " examines the needs of adult workers in Pennsylv...

Yesterday, Industry Partnership (IP) legislation passed unanimously out of committee and is now on its way to debate on the state Senate floor. IP's are consortia of businesses with similar products, markets and human resources needs that come together to identify and address common workforce education and training issues. Currently, more than 6,300 employers across Pennsylvania participate in 74 Industry Partnerships, and more than 73,000 Pennsylvanians have benefited from IP training. Individuals trained through Industry Partnerships see an average wage increase of over 6 percent as a result of their training. The Industry Partnership bill amends the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Act to make Industry Partnerships a permanent part of Pennsylvania’s workforce development system. It will require the Department of Labor and Industry to continue defining targeted industries and High Priority Occupations and to administer a grant program when funds are made available. Plea...