October 2017 - In This Issue:

We are pleased to welcome Peter Farkas as the new Executive Director of the Greater Lowell Workforce Development Board. Peter joined us in June of 2017 and has hit the ground running.  Peter brings to the GLWDB over 10+ years of workforce development experience.  Prior to joining the GLWDB, Peter was Associate Director at the Metro North Regional Employment Board(MNREB). His responsibilities at the MNREB included resource and partnership development, oversight of the local career centers, the administration of federal and state funds, and leading the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and  Opportunity Act in the region. 

Previously, Peter held a supervisory  position for 8 years at Career Source, one of the Massachusetts One Stop Career Centers. He was a member of the Massachusetts Workforce Professionals Association and chaired  its youth committee.  Peter received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University  of Massachusetts at Amherst and his Master of Business Administration  from Suffolk University.  
Research
NACE, The National Association of Colleges and Employers, recently conducted their Class of 2017 Student Survey. The results show that recent graduates have confidence in the current job market. 

The MassBenchmarks project is an initiative of the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.  Experts within the University of Massachusetts system and other research institutions around the state produce and distribute relevant assessments of the Massachusetts economy through reports, commentary, and analysis. The journal is published online and in hard- copy in cooperation with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 
Labor Market Snapshot
As of  October 31st, the Top 5 Greater Lowell Employers with job openings are:
  1. Lowell General Hospital
  2. Raytheon
  3. Kronos
  4. UMass-Lowell
  5. CVS Health
The Top 5 Job Titles are:
  1. Software Engineer
  2. Customer Service Rep.
  3. Administrative Assistant
  4. Senior Software Engineer
  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  2017 .   In the Greater Lowell Area 186,837  workers were in the labor force, of which 180,259  were employed and 6,578  were unemployed.  The unemployment rate was 3.5 % , down 0.3% from the previous month .

Statewide, in September, the largest over-the-month job gains occurred in 
Construction; Education and Health Services; Professional, Scientific and Business Services; and Financial Activities.

Nationally, total non-farm payroll employment rose by 261,000 in October. The unemployment rate edged down to 4.1%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Job gains occurred in  professional and business services, manufacturing and healthcare.
Did You Know?
By 2024,  The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects that the labor force will grow to about 164 million people. That number includes about 41 million people who will be ages 55 and older-of whom about 13 million are expected to be ages 65 and older.  

People are working later in life for a number of reasons. They are healthier and have a longer life expectancy than previous generations. They are better educated, which increases their likelihood of staying in the labor force. And changes to Social Security benefits and employee retirement plans, along with the need to save more for retirement, create incentives to keep working. Read more here.
Massachusetts Job Quest
October 31st, 2017

Total Job Postings:

127,722

 

Greater Lowell Job Postings:

4,021

 

Visit MASS JobQuest  
Quick Links




Employee
 Recognition
Congratulations to Nancy L. Gagnon, Career Center of Lowell, Career Center Manager.  Nancy recently earned the Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) credential, awarded by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP). 

The credential recognizes the training, experience and expertise of professionals in 9 areas of competency:
  • Business and Economic  Development Intelligence
  • Career Development Principles
  • Collaboration and Problem Solving
  • Diversity in Workforce Development
  • Labor Market Information and Intelligence
  • Principles of Communications
  • Program Implementation Principles and Strategies
  • Workforce Development Structure
GLWDB Updates

GLWDB Member Spotlight
Name: John Palmieri
Title: Manager of Employee Training & Development
Organization: Sterling Corporation - Office Services Division
Web: www.sterlingofficemoving.com
 
You may recognize John Palmieri, Manager of Employee Training & Development for Sterling null Corporation, if you had lunch or an ice cream at the Brigham's on Merrimack Street in downtown Lowell.  After graduating from Northeastern University John was the franchisee there for ten years. He joined Sterling Corporation in 1996 and has contributed to its growth in revenue and expansion from a moving company to offering a full range of commercial relocation and 'Move-Add-Change' services.

John became interested in joining the GLWDB after partnering with Beatriz Sierra from the Connecting Activities Program and participating in the annual youth job fairs. John is always looking for new ways to recruit employees and has also participated in the Career Center of Lowell's job fairs and the Summer Youth Employment Program.  Read more about John here .

Connecting Activities First Youth Job Fair of the Season a Great Success
On October 26th, 2017 over 150 students and 20 employers attended a job fair at Lowell High School hosted by the GLWDB. 
Lowell High students meeting with employers and doing on the spot interviews

The students came dressed for success and ready to sit down with employers.  This was the first job fair of the season.  The GLWDB Connecting Activities Staff and the Lowell High Guidance Department worked together on a new strategy; they held a smaller, more concentrated  job fair during the school day, as opposed to after school, to accommodate students who have after school obligations.  Employers, teachers, counselors and students alike felt it was a huge success! In order to participate, students were granted permission and given passes prior to the event. The annual after school job fair will  be held in the Spring of 2018.

Career Center of Lowell wins 1 of only 5 bids for Year-Round YouthWorks Funding
The Career Center of Lowell, in coordination with the GLWDB, was selected as 1 of  5 grantees across the state to be chosen by Commonwealth Corporation
for Year-Round YouthWorks funding.  This is the first year CommCorp has made this a competitive bidding process.  Year-Round YouthWorks is a work readiness and training grant that runs from October to May, serving youth ages 16 to 24, placing them in an occupational skills training component or subsidized employment.

Employers recognized at the Annual GLWDB Employer Appreciation Breakfast
The Annual Youth Employer Appreciation Breakfast was held on September 8th, 2017 at Lenzi's  Restaurant in Dracut, Mass.  Over 25 local employers attended the breakfast, and more than 50 were recognized for their commitment to the employment of local youth.  City Councilor Rodney Elliott attended the event. The Employer of the Year Award was given to Robert Howard, Owner of Heritage Farm Ice Cream and Restaurant. Heritage Farm believes strongly in giving back to the community and has been hiring young people from the Greater Lowell Area for several years. 

Ray Wrobel, GLWDB Chair, presenting Robert Howard of Heritage Farm the Employer of the Year Award

GLWDB Quarterly Meeting
On September 26th, 2017 the GLWDB held its quarterly meeting.  Jacqueline Moloney, Ed.D. -  Chancellor, UMass Lowell, was the guest speaker.  Jacquie Moloney is the first woman to serve as chancellor of UMass Lowell in the institution's 123-year history.
Jacquie Moloney, Chancellor of UMass Lowell, addressing
 the board members 

Upcoming Events

GLWDB & Career C enter of Lowell Events
  • November 17th - GLWDB Strategic Planning Committee Meeting, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 107 Merrimack Street, 3rd Floor, Lowell, MA, 01852    
  • December 19th - GLWDB Quarterly Meeting, 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. The Radisson Hotel & Suites, 10 Independence Drive, Chelmsford, MA 018724
Greater Lowell Events
  • November 18th - 
    Disney Live! Presents Mickey & Minnie's Doorway to Magic -  1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.  shows at the Tsongas Center                                                                 
  • Saturday, November 25-
    Lowell's annual City of Lights Parade and Celebration  creates a "Vintage Holidays" atmosphere with the Holly Jolly Trolley, hot chocolate contest, visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, a magic show, movie and festive lighting beginning at noon; parade at 4:30 p.m.                                                                                              
  • Beginning November 29th - Scrooge and the Cratchits take the stage as A Christmas Carol returns to the Merrimack Repertory Theater for the first time in 21 years                        
  • Sunday, December 17 at 2:30 p.m.-Holiday Pops Tour at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium 
Peter Farkas                                                       Raymond Wrobel
Executive Director                                           Chair