November 2016 - In This Issue:
At the 7th Annual Jobs and Workforce Summit on October 26, 2016, hosted by the Workforce Solutions Group, the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium was named the Workforce Training Partnership of the Year.

The Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium is comprised of manufacturers, workforce boards, career centers, community colleges and technical high schools in the Greater Lowell, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metro North workforce areas.

To date, more than 150 students have been trained in machining or electronics to fill in-demand jobs in the advanced manufacturing industry. 

The Workforce Solutions Group advocates for an effective training and education system that increases workers' skills, advances families to self-sufficiency and promotes job creation and economic growth.
 
Accepting the award were Robin Dion, Gail Brown, Mary Sarris, Sunny Schwartz, Brian Norris and Rafael Abislaiman (l-r)
Labor Market Snapshot
On November 1, 2016 the Top 5 Greater Lowell Employers with job openings are:
  1. Raytheon
  2. Kronos
  3. Kronos Optimal Health
  4. EMD
  5. United Technologies
The Top 5 Job Titles are:
  1. Software Engineer
  2. Senior Software Engineer
  3. Customer Service Rep.
  4. Administrative Assistant
  5. Registered Nurse
For more information view the CEB TalentNeuron report.
Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts released the latest Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment numbers for
September 2016 .  In the Greater Lowell Area 150,038  workers were in the labor force, of which 144,752  were employed and 5 ,286  were unemployed.  The unemployment rate was 3 .5% , down 0.6% from the previous month .

Statewide, in September, the largest over-the-month job gains occurred in the Leisure and Hospitality, Education and Health Services and Manufacturing sectors.

Nationally, total non-farm payroll employment rose by 156,000 in September. The unemployment rate was little changed at 5.0%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Employment in Professional & Business Services and Health Care continued to trend up.
Did You Know?
The Manufacturing Industry in Massachusetts saw more new jobs than 39 other states. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1,500 new jobs were added in the year ending September 2016 . For more information and an interactive map view the full report.
Massachusetts Job Quest
November 1, 2016

Total Job Postings:

121,042

 

Greater Lowell Job Postings:

3,817 

 

Visit MASS JobQuest  
Apprenticeships
In Massachusetts, many jobs can be accessed through registered apprenticeship programs.  No longer just in the traditional trades, t here are over 850 jobs in a wide range of industries that can be learned through apprenticeship training. For more information visit the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Apprentice Standards website.

The GLWDB, in partnership with the Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC), will assist in recruiting up to 72 apprenticeship trainees for positions in manufacturing including industrial technician, machine operator, assembler and machine set-up operator at 15 advanced manufacturing employers.

NAMC will receive a portion of a $2.9 million grant to fund the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI) through the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, Department of Career Services.
WIOA Update 

To learn more about WIOA please utilize the following resources:

 
 
If you have questions please contact Gail Brown, GLWDB Director or Shannon Norton Calles, Career Center of Lowell Director. 
Quick Links
 
 
GLWDB Updates
Middlesex 3 Coalition Transportation Management Association
The Middlesex 3 TMA has been created as an affiliated organization of the  Middlesex 3 Coalition . The Coalition is made up of community and business partners who share common goals of fostering economic development, job growth and retention, diversification of  the tax base and enhancement of quality of life in the region. The TMA region includes the participating communities of Bedford, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford Massachusetts. The TMA addresses a variety of needs including: traditional commuting from the suburbs into the Boston/Cambridge area, reverse commuting--from Boston/Cambridge to the Middlesex 3 area, and non-commuting trips between communities.

GLWDB Quarterly Meeting
The GLWDB Quarterly Meeting was held on September 22, 2016 at the UMass Lowell Innovation Hub.  Don Gillis, Executive Director of the MA Workforce Board Association was the guest speaker. In addition the board was updated on WIOA Youth Funding, Career Center Procurement, several promising grant opportunities and initiatives and the Summer Youth Jobs Program.

GLWDB Celebrates Grand Openings
Two successful companies expanded/relocated in Lowell in October and held grand openings: Metrigraphics and Scheidt and Bachmann have both relocated to Cross River Center on Pawtucket Boulevard.

Metrigraphics is the world's leading provider of ultra-miniature components for medical, biopharma, photonics, motion control, computer hardware and peripherals, and other applications.

Scheidt and Bachmann is a family-owned company founded in 1872 in Germany and is now managed in its fifth generation. In the four divisions Parking and leisure centre systems, Signalling systems, Fare collection systems, Petrol station systems Scheidt & Bachmann is setting worldwide standards.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Financial Literacy Presentation
On September 16th, 2016 Heather Donovan from the CCL Young Adult Department represented both the CCL and the GLWDB at the Beyond CRA: Meaningful Collaborations between Financial Institutions and Workforce Entities Conference held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As a presenter and panelist she spoke regarding Lessons of Collaboration
Heather Donovan, Young Adult Career Advisor
and how we successfully worked in Lowell to bring financial capability to a wider audience using curricula, incentives, financial fairs and more. The targeted effort to help out-of-school disadvantaged youth begin to feel more financially capable, as well as how financial institutions and workforce entities can meet both CRA and WIOA requirements through partnerships, were the underlying lessons throughout the presentation and panel.

WIOA OSCC Procurement
The GLWDB issued a Request For Proposals on October 10, 2016 for the purpose of selecting an organization with the appropriate capacity and expertise to design, administer and implement an innovative and compliant system of one-stop workforce development services for the benefit of the job seeker and business customers in the Greater Lowell Workforce Development Region. These services must, at a minimum, include Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and related shared partner services and be delivered in an integrated model. The RFP was issued by the City of Lowell's Purchasing Department and advertised on the GLWDB website, through an email announcement and on Twitter. Proposals are due on November 15, 2016 no later than 4:00 pm. A formal review and evaluation process will proceed from there.

New Developments at the Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP)
Commonwealth Corporation announced two new developments at the Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP).  The first is a refresh of their website.  The site includes all the relevant information you have come to expect in an easier to navigate format, including details on the Express, Direct Access and General Grant Programs, News, Events and Resources.  The second update is that Commonwealth Corporation is implementing a new application system for the Workforce Training Fund General Program Training Grant. The new online system is cloud-based and allows for a smarter, more flexible application.  The new system reflects Commonwealth Corporation's commitment to continually improving their programs to increase access to training resources and maximize operational efficiency for customers.
Events

GLWDB & Career C enter of Lowell Events
  • November 10, 2016  - Career Center of Lowell Job Fair, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.,  Radisson Hotel & Suites, 10 Independence Drive, Chelmsford, MA, 01824
  • December 9, 2016 - GLWDB Quarterly Meeting , 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., Radisson Hotel & Suites, 10 Independence Drive, Chelmsford, MA, 01824
 
Greater Lowell Events
  • November 16, 2016 - Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce 22nd Annual Membership Meeting, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Lenzi's, 810 Merrimack Avenue, Dracut, MA, 01826
Gail Brown                                                                Raymond Wrobel
Director                                                                     Chairman