For years, the State Chamber has made workforce development a priority. We heard back in October of 2018 at our Developing Delaware Conference this is a significant issue. Since then we have elevated this topic to the top of our list.
Site selectors repeatedly state that having a ready workforce is at the top of the priority list for businesses when making location decisions. Last year we focused exclusively on workforce development at the same conference. We then worked with state government leaders, which resulted in the development of a plan to move mid-career people from minimum wage positions into full-time, five-day-a-week training programs that would ultimately fill much-needed jobs in health care, technology, and the building trades.
While the pandemic has changed things, we are heartened to see the Governor today sign
Executive Order #43
, which establishes a Rapid Workforce Training and Redeployment Initiative for Delaware workers displaced during the COVID-19 crisis. We believe that investing in Delawareans by providing them with skills that meet in-demand job vacancies will help businesses and our neighbors succeed. Many of these positions have good, entry-level wages along with benefits and growth potential that their previous employment could not offer.
Advancements in technology occur daily and external forces propel job changes that inevitably hit low-skill, low-wage jobs first
— these are oftentimes the easiest to automate.
Today’s announcement is a win for State Chamber members, the business community, and all Delawareans as we double our efforts to make our workforce the envy of the region.
