NEW JOBS TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF A NEW ECONOMY

By Michael K. Ellis

The United States is in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Philadelphia County lost 20,000 jobs in 2009. The official unemployment rate in Philadelphia is more than 11.6% and many areas of the city are facing unemployment rates as high as 30%. The citywide poverty rate is 28%. Families are being squeezed by high and prolonged unemployment, rising costs for gasoline, health care and education.

What is needed is a comprehensive strategy to create jobs, build a strong workforce, help small businesses, remove the blight and restore Philadelphia to the dignity and status it once enjoyed more than 60 years ago as a leading city for industry, job growth and economic opportunity.

We can build the right workforce to meet the job skills needs of the 21st century by bolstering our education and job training programs. Through loans and sound investments in the business sector, we can create high-paying jobs for Philadelphia workers. These are the two things we need to recover from our current recession and to maintain a long-term strong economy.

I believe that we must develop strong drop-out outreach and re-engagement programs that improve lives and pay for themselves many times over. I will bring green jobs and 21st century jobs skills training programs to our district in order to attract green industry and 21st century jobs to the District. I will increase funding to community-based organizations that demonstrate the capability and accountability to offer such programs that will be accessible to all.

We must invest in the industries of Pennsylvania's future, the so called "green jobs". However, we must also invest in attracting investments from out-of-state and overseas firms and financiers that will create new jobs in construction, manufacturing, alternative, low-cost energy development and the widespread use of solar and wind power. However, we should not limit our focus to green jobs; we need a diverse economy that brings labor unions and businesses together to create jobs in healthcare, infrastructure improvement and schools.

Also, we need to expand the Keystone Opportunity Zone program that encourages businesses to renovate the abandoned manufacturing facilities of Philadelphia and that promises significant job growth in construction and high-tech activities.

In Pennsylvania, only 2% of the businesses have 100 or more employees. The other 98% are small businesses of which 62% are sole-proprietor operations. In a recession, these are the businesses which are hardest hit. They have fewer reserves to help weather the storm and limited access to financial capital. The cost of providing healthcare has increased dramatically. Small businesses in Pennsylvania are the engine that drives our economy.

I will push for healthcare reform that relieves small businesses of these skyrocketing costs; I will promote long-term capital loans and micro-loans to small business. I will seek more stimulus money from the federal government for small business. I will pursue incentives for businesses to participate in college internship programs, to use new technologies to remain competitive and to create small business jobs that will sustain our workforce.

Many local organizations excel at providing education, job training, housing, child care, entrepreneurship training and small business technical assistance. Whenever possible, we must provide state support to community-based organizations that are doing the job efficiently and effectively because they care. Also, I will work with our community colleges to create Green Institutes that will train workers for decent-paying, high-demand jobs.

We have invested tens of billions in our public education facilities. They sit empty at night, on the weekends and during the summer. They have a finite lifetime. These resources should become centers for community learning programs, arts, music and cultural presentations, community meeting centers, after-school and tutoring programs, career exploration events and in so many other ways that give taxpayers added value for these investments. This will bring new jobs to our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life significantly.

We must also provide an alternative educational track with vocational training opportunities for youth that do not wish to pursue a college degree. We need to increase partnerships between community colleges and public high schools so that students in the 11th and 12th grade can enroll in college vocational training programs. I would create state funding for convenient neighborhood centers for 21st century and green jobs skills training programs for adults. Today, a high school diploma is not enough; without specialized job skills, our residents cannot compete and businesses will not be attracted to Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.

Finally, I will introduce legislation that will establish Regional Centers for Business Development and Entrepreneurship that will consist of regional partnerships among business, higher education institutions, government leaders that focuses on targeted economic sectors.

In summation, my philosophy is that we must build an educated, skilled workforce that is trained for the right jobs of today and tomorrow. Government cannot create jobs; it can only create the environment for jobs. I this regard, we must support small business development through loan programs, tax abatement incentives and low-interest loans to rehabilitate our blighted factories and tax incentives for hiring new employees receiving public assistance. We must prepare the right workforce to meet the needs of a new, diverse economic base of activities in Philadelphia.