70 Washington Street, Suite 314, Salem, MA. 01970
p: 978-741-3805 f: 978-741-3809
www.northshorewib.com
Op-Ed Submission
FROM: William Tinti,
Chair, North Shore Workforce Investment Board
For More Information, please contact
William Tinti, Tinti, Quinn, Gover, and Frey
978-745-8065
or
Mary Sarris, North Shore Workforce Investment Board
978-741-3805
Imagine your home computer crashes – the one you use for home banking and remote work to the
office – and no one is available to fix it for a month.
Imagine you find a small lump in your breast – and the panic that would come with a family
history of cancer – but you can’t get a mammogram for three months.
These imagined situations aren’t that far from reality, according to experts who say the skilled
workforce in American is at a critical point.
The Baby Boomer generation will soon begin retiring in droves, marking the start of an exodus of
skilled labor from the workforce, according to Ed Gordon, a national workforce trends
consultant, in his new book “The 2010 Meltdown: Solving the Impending Jobs Crisis.”
The gap will grow wider, Gordon said, without immediate intervention in the form of corporate
responsibility for workforce training and educational responsibility for encouraging math and
sciences.
Here’s another way of looking at the problem: In Massachusetts, there are more than 60,000 open
jobs right now. There are also 150,000 people looking for jobs.
Why can’t we slot these people into the open jobs and solve two problems at once? The workers
aren’t trained for those particular jobs, so they languish on the unemployment rolls.
And the problem isn’t limited to Massachusetts: The entire nation is on the verge of losing its
economic advantage if workforce training isn’t addressed, Gordon said in a recent interview on
National Public Radio. He and other guests outlined potential scenarios similar to those above.
Here in Massachusetts, the North Shore Workforce Investment Board (WIB), a public-private
partnership that helps individuals and businesses find workforce opportunities, is striving to solve
the problem.
Our recent success stories include “Scott,” who was laid off from his product development job
and went on to open his own sports massage therapy business in Beverly with our assistance.
And Elda, an Albanian immigrant who came to us last summer with few language skills and no
work history and who is now completing certification as a business services specialist.
These are just two of the many people who have surmounted life’s obstacles and gone on to
contribute to the Massachusetts economy with the help of WIB.
Now, WIB needs your help.
Our state legislative leaders are working to pass new “economic stimulus” legislation, which
could significantly boost our ability to improve North Shore workers’ skills and job opportunities.
The House Economic Stimulus Bill proposes $11 million to train 10,000 residents in job skills,
which will empower a new generation of workers as they pay taxes and contribute to the
economy. The bill also calls for $3 million in educational grant money for 2,000 working adults
to attend community colleges, which will bring them into higher skilled work.
The bill is in the conference committee now being reconciled against a Senate version. We urge
you to contact your local representatives and ask them to support House 4429.
Few people, given the option, want to be supported by the state. There is a unique pride that
comes from supporting oneself and family. Massachusetts has good jobs available, and people
willing to do them. Let’s give them the chance.
The North Shore Workforce Investment Board is a group of business, education, and community
leaders appointed by the mayor of Salem on behalf of all mayors in the region to increase
training and other workforce program opportunities at all levels. The group operates three North
Shore Career Centers, in Salem, Lynn, and Gloucester, which are open to anyone—teens, adults
and companies—searching for solutions to workforce problems. For more information, call
(978) 741-3805.