Benchmarking Pittsburgh

Although this report was conducted for St. Louis, the benchmarking data sheds some light on Pittsburgh's situation, relative to comparable areas. (Kudos to the East West Gateway Council of Governments for a very thorough report!) A lot of our usual depressing trends are continuing. (We don't attract people from other countries or have many babies.) But there is also some good news. Our gross metro product is growing (the tech sector, in particular). We don't have many teen pregnancies or car crashes. Our unemployment rate is better than Seattle's. Of course, there's still plenty of bad news. Check out the stats on minority and women owned businesses. Dreadful. Also, we're #1 in cancer incidence and population age 65+ with a disability. No wonder health care jobs are booming. By the way, got this great information from my new fav workforce blog, Convergence.

Has Your Office Gone to the Dogs?

The New York Times has published an entertaining article about dogs in the workplace. Apparently, this practice is on the rise and creating some interesting challenges for management. (What do you do when your office neighbors find drool in the elevator offensive?) While some messy situations that may arise (ha ha), many firms are finding that the benefits outweigh the costs. Bringing Fido to work can better employee recruitment, retention and morale. It may even improve client relaxation and satisfaction. Read the NYTimes article. Read about therapy dogs in the King County Prosecutor's Office. Read suggestions for dog-in-the-workplace programs.

New Yorker wisdom: Job interview with the devil

Check out this animated cartoon.

Nothing Stops a Bullet Like a Job

Check out this Philadelphia Daily News story about the need to provide jobs in the inner city. The article prompted me to take a closer look at the Philadelphia Chamber's work in this area. One piece of the workforce development puzzle is providing early, meaningful work experiences. As a result, the chamber has made a commitment to provide A LOT of internships. While I get nervous about these big number commitments (it may emphasize quantity rather than quality), it's good to see employers stepping up to the plate. It also looks like the group is being thoughtful about this -- They're seeking paid internships, pursuing incentives and encouraging mentoring.

Reverse Elderly Migration

According to the Census Bureau (as reported by the NY Times), more Americans ages 75 and older have been leaving the South than moving there. Apparently, the trend is largely due to seniors' desire to be near family. Guess what city is mentioned in the article? Pittsburgh! No wonder we need more health care workers.

Workforce Development for Rocket Scientists

Back in January, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held a panel discussion focused on "Preparing for the Next Generation." While AIAA was speaking to the future aerospace workforce, their comments accurately summarize the broader challenge. "Preparing the future aerospace workforce will involve a complex mix of effectively communicating to students and their parents the opportunities available; adequately preparing teachers; maintaining the right financial and regulatory environment; and drawing on the strengths inherent in the nation's uniquely diverse workforce. Concrete action at both the micro- and macro-levels of academia, industry and government will be required..."

First Biotech, Now Energy

The following sentence was printed in a daily newspaper. Fill in the blank: "A growing economy, revitalized with innovative biotechnology startups and alternative energy ventures, holds the key to ___________’s future." Did you say Pennsylvania or SWPA? Not exactly. This was in a Cleveland paper. My first thought was, "do either Pittsburgh or Cleveland have a shot?" Then, I had a much better thought. "What if we actually functioned as a multi-state region?"

Duh-pressing

For the second year running, no U.S. city has made the list of the world’s top Intelligent Communities of 2007, as selected by global think tank Intelligent Community Forum. Who's got the smarts? Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom; Gangnam District,; Seoul, South Korea; Issy-les-Moulineaux, France; Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario-Quebec, Canada; Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, United Kingdom; Tallinn, Estonia; Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

NPR Goes Blue Collar

NPR ran a story this morning on alternatives to college. Their story sounded like a HCPI/Ken Gray presentation. Let me repeat, NPR suggested there might be alternatives to college! Also, check out this website set up by a proud blue collar worker -- bluecollarandproudofit.com

Work Life Solutions: Live Near Work

Some lucky Baltimore workers are getting paid to live near their workplace. "Live near work" incentive programs can be a great redevelopment tool. I noticed these in London.. particularly for health care and other emergency service workers. I believe Philadelphia had a similar initiative around Penn. My planner friends are very familiar with these types of programs. But I think they are less known with the HR crowd. I've been doing a lot of research on "work life balance" initiatives and I haven't seen these types of initiatives in any of the literature. Could this be the next generation of work-life balance practices? I would think this would be very appealing to non-profits or public agencies. After all, revitilizing the local area is part of their mission. Why not embrace work-life balance initiatives that serve multiple purposes?