November 16, 2012 - UTI-Norwood Hosted Skills Gap Summit

The panel at the Skills Gap Summit hosted by UTI-Norwood

November 16, 2012 - It may seem implausible given the relatively high unemployment levels in Massachusetts, yet employers across the state are finding it difficult to fill jobs – especially those that require some level of technical skill.

On November 14, the Norwood campus of Universal Technical Institute (UTI) hosted industry, education, and public policy leaders from around Massachusetts for a free panel discussion "Connecting Education with Job Opportunities." The discussion focused on trends and factors contributing to the gap in the state’s skilled labor force, and the role of education in helping to close this gap and prepare the region’s workforce for job opportunities.

The idea for this event came out of a discussion that UTI-Norwood campus president Chuck Baressi had with the school’s automotive industry partners about the skills gap they were seeing and the need for technical schools to provide training to meet the needs of industry. Realizing that other industries were facing similar challenges, Baressi decided to host a town meeting-style summit that would allow participants to share thoughts and ideas on this important topic with a panel that included policymakers and members of the academic and business communities.

Recent research on Labor Market Trends in Massachusetts undertaken as a joint project by Commonwealth Corporation and New England Public Policy Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, shows a mismatch between the demand and supply of labor exists –an issue that spans manufacturing, healthcare and service industries. According to summit panelist Rebekah Lashman, senior vice president at the Commonwealth Corporation, Massachusetts is facing a shortage of workers who have the post-secondary education and training needed by the region’s employers. Lashman points out that while the number of younger workers is declining, the state’s aging workforce adds further challenges for employers.

For summit panelist David Cedrone, associate commissioner for economic and workforce development, the connection between post-secondary education and business is essential. Cedrone highlighted the importance of supporting careers in fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) along with statewide and regional programs. According to Cedrone, a primary goal is to identify best practice initiatives that ensure that education meets the needs of the workplace. To accomplish this, Cedrone emphasized the need to bring examples of job possibilities that use STEM to help ignite student passion and support their interests.

Cedrone cited the growing number of adult students displaced from the workforce, and the role of public-private partnerships to let students know what STEM is and how it leads to jobs in a wide variety of industries across the state. “The goal is to ensure industry practices of today are reflected in academic programs so that teaching is relevant, and students have the right credentials at the right time to meet the needs of employers.”

Dr. Edward Bouquillon, superintendent-director of Minuteman Regional Vocational High School, described how Minuteman has developed strategic partnerships with local businesses, including innovative programs to help adult students learn the skills they need to transition to a new career. Bouquillon sees a mismatch between what many students are learning and the skills that today’s jobs are requiring. “The ability to connect education to a career with economic opportunity is often an afterthought when considering options for post-secondary education, and helping students identify their passion is the first step.”

Business leaders participating in UTI’s Summit, including Executive Director of Massachusetts Business Roundtable J.D. Chesloff, see both a skills gap and a worker gap in Massachusetts. With 76 million people nearing retirement and only 51 million in line to replace them, business leaders are facing a serious workforce pipeline issue. “Employers see the mismatch between projected future jobs requiring STEM and the number of qualified workers required to fill them.”

Beverly Leclerc, an engineer and manager for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, is part of her company’s mentoring program for students at Lawrence High School – a program that has achieved significant success. Leclerc says Raytheon is seeking qualified candidates to fill open engineering positions. “We are living the problem of getting qualified candidates into our industry, and the first step is supporting students and getting them interested in pursuing this career.”

Even industries like construction that were once defined by bricks, mortar, concrete, and steel are now driven by technology and need for highly skilled labor. Mark DiNapoli, president and general manager of Suffolk Construction Northeast, agrees that labor supply is not keeping up with demand, but remains optimistic. “There are many industry partners doing tremendous work, yet this work is largely independent of what is being done in education. There’s a real need to forge partnerships and collaborate to help drive these initiatives forward.”

For summit attendee Donna Brown, executive director of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association, it’s all about building trust and increasing collaboration. “Counselors are the gatekeepers. We need to work with industry, to know how you need us to help, so we’re able to look to the careers at the end of the road for our students.”

The Summit was broadcast across Massachusetts through MassAccess TV, under the direction of its Executive Director Jeff Hansell at the Belmont Media Center, and in collaboration with Norwood Public Access TV. UTI-Norwood also thanks LiveU for helping stream this event live on the Internet.

For more information on UTI’s Norwood campus in the Boston area, visit our website and stay connected on Facebook or Twitter.