The Pittsburgh Regional Compact

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The Pittsburgh Regional Compact
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The Workforce Problem
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The workforce is now primarily composed of
technical and professional occupations.
Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor and Industry
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Most Important Skills Cited by Employers

• High School Graduates
• Professionalism/Work Ethic
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Oral Communications
• Ethics/Social Responsibility
• Reading Comprehension
• Ranked by percent rating as very important
• (The Conference Board, The Partnership for 21st
  Century Skills, Corporate Voices for Working
  Families, and The Society for Human Resource
  Management, 2006 as provided by Development
  Dimensions International)

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The Report Card High School Graduates
(Conference Board et al. provided by Development
Dimensions International, Inc.)
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Many students in southwestern Pennsylvania are
not prepared for the modern economy.
Southwestern Pennsylvania Career Skills Study.
Center for Workforce Excellence, 2002
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The Goal The Pittsburgh Region as a national
leader in workforce preparation.
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The Pittsburgh Regional Compact is an
employer-educator partnership to develop the
regional workforce for 21st-century jobs and
careers.
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The Pittsburgh Regional Compact connects schools
and employers to improve career education
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Employer-educator partnerships can take many
forms.

• Career education collaboration with schools
• Educators in the workplace
• Work readiness training
• Job-shadowing/worksite tours
• Career mentoring
• Experiential learning
• Internships

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1. Career Education Collaboration

• Identify opportunities for businesses to
  strengthen school performance.
• Build coalitions to advocate for school reform.
• Collaborate with schools and workforce
  development organizations to identify essential
  skills for specific job categories.

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Case Study Career Education Collaboration

• Program CEO-to-CEO/President-to-President
  Breakfasts
• Provider Allegheny Conference

• Meetings are held throughout the year.
• School and business leaders meet in an informal
  environment.
• Opportunities are provided for collaboration
  between employers and schools.

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2. Educators in the Workplace

• Employers host a teacher for several days during
  the summer.
• Educators are provided with real world examples
  to use in the classroom.

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Case Study Educators in the Workplace

• Program Educator in the Workplace
• Provider Allegheny Intermediate Unit

• Teachers and counselors volunteer to job shadow
  for two days at a local business or industry.
• Educators complete a structured
  Educator-in-the-Workplace Log Book.

Employers hosting educators included Massaro
Corporation, Highmark, and Allegheny Ludlum Fire
Dept.
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3. Work Readiness Training

• Programs provide short- and long-term training to
  prepare students for internships and jobs.
• Young people learn essential job skills to
  increase employability.

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Case Study Work Readiness Training

• Program Career Readiness Sessions
• Provider Urban Youth Action

• Instruction is provided to students in specific
  skill areas.
• Volunteers from local employers provide
  instruction based on their own expertise.

25 Highmark, and 15 PNC employees have recently
volunteered to lead Career Readiness Sessions.
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4. Career Awareness Activities

• Job shadowing, worksite tours, and classroom
  speakers
• Students experience a broad range of career
  options

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Case Study Career Awareness Activities

• Program Job Shadowing Days
• Provider Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board
  (TRWIB)

• Employers host a group of high school students
  for a tour of company operations.
• TRWIB provides guidance materials and acts as
  liaison between employers schools.

• 250 students attended tours at sites including
• WQED Multimedia
• Hammil Manufacturing
• Omni William Penn Hotel
• UPMC Wiser Institute

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5. Career Mentoring

• Provides young people with adult advice on career
  decision making.
• Creates an environment in which students can
  begin to actively discuss and think about career
  planning.

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Case Study Career Mentoring

• Program Pennsylvania eMentoring
• Provider Smart Futures

• Students are matched with an online career mentor
  for year-long career development conversations.
• Participating employers receive on-site mentor
  training.

UPMC, Highmark, PPG, Ariba, the Federal Home
Loan Bank, and many others have employees who
volunteer their time as eMentors.
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6. Experiential Learning

• Educational contests and competitions are
  sponsored and/or hosted by local employers.
• Students are given the chance to link schoolwork
  with hands-on activities connected to regional
  industries.

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Case Study Experiential Learning

• Program Future City Pittsburgh
• Provider Engineers Society and Carnegie Science
  Center

• Teams of students design a city using SimCity
  software, build a scale model and give a
  presentation of their city.
• The winning team competes in the national final
  in Washington, D.C.

The 2006-07 competition was funded by Shell Oil
Company, Michael Baker Corporation, Engineers
Society of Western PA, the Carnegie Science
Center, and others.
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7. Internships

• School year and summer internships for high
  school students.
• Interaction/mentoring with college interns.
• Business-based senior projects.

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Case Study Internships

• Program Adventures in Technology
• Provider Catalyst Connection and Pittsburgh
  Tech. Council

• Employers give students school year and summer
  work opportunities.
• Students complete school projects carried out in
  collaboration with employers.

Students from Franklin Regional High School made
recommendations which have saved Respironics
20,000 in lost productivity.
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Career education helps students succeed.

• Academic work is connected to real world
  opportunities.
• Students are exposed to a wide array of career
  choices.
• Students understand what skills and experiences
  are necessary for the jobs in which they are
  interested.