High schools and colleges throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania now have a new, free tool to educate students on what types of jobs will shape the region’s future.
Wall Street West today announced the official launch of Wall Street West / Career Gates, a series of dynamic videos aimed at informing the current and future workforce about exciting and unique careers in financial services and other information technology industries in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The videos focus on both the variety of occupations that currently and potentially will exist in the region, as well as the educational tracts needed to be successful in them.
“The common misconception students have is that the industries of the future are only developing in major metropolitan areas,” Susan Shaffer, Director of Workforce Initiatives, Wall Street West said. “With the Wall Street West / Career Gates series, we can reach out to students and provide tangible proof that the jobs of tomorrow are being developed in Northeastern Pennsylvania today.”
“The potential and creativity of Northeastern Pennsylvania students is too great to lose to other states, but for them to use their talents to better the commonwealth, we have to inspire and support their efforts through education and innovation.” Shaffer continued.
A total of six videos were created and customized to reach students in different areas of the Wall Street West region. Each video contains interviews with educators and students discussing the types of curricula that are available at the colleges and universities throughout the region. In addition, the videos share interviews with industry executives and their staffs on the type of work they do and why they enjoy doing it in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Pocono Region participants Include:
· Gary Olson, President & CEO, ESSA;
· Craig Zurn, President & CEO, Jim Thorpe National Bank;
· Ian Scott-Dunne, Chairman & CEO, Stellar Financial;
· Dr. Robert Dillman, President, East Stroudsburg University.
Developed through a partnership with PBS 39 and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board, the Wall Street West / Career Gates videos will be distributed to high schools and colleges throughout the Wall Street West region, which includes the counties of Berks, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike and Wayne. In addition, the videos will be accompanied by resources for educators, such as lesson plans and reference documents, which will supplement current curriculum.
“PBS 39 was thrilled to produce the Wall Street West / Career Gates series for area schools,” said Dr. Teri Haddad, Vice President of Education Media Services, PBS 39. “Teachers today are in need of high quality media to engage their tech-savvy students. The high energy, fast paced series includes supplemental lesson plans that match Pennsylvania academic standards. Each regional program highlights an educational institution and two financial service businesses. This educational tool not only describes the importance of the initiative, but takes students through ‘cool’ places to work. Northeast Pennsylvania is a great place to live and work, and the Wall Street West / Career Gates series encourages students to explore the opportunities this region has to offer.”
Wall Street West is a not-for-profit partnership in Northeastern Pennsylvania that is enhancing the financial services, information technology and related industries in the commonwealth through strategic workforce development and state-of-the-art economic development. Stemming from an interagency report by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Reserve and the Department of the Treasury – which identifies the nine-county region as an optimal geographic location for secure data back-up and back office operations – the goal of Wall Street West is to work with firms in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan threat zones to establish supplemental facilities to safeguard data, fund the education and training of a growing workforce and expand the competitiveness and potential of these industries.
The Wall Street West partnership is made up of the top-tier economic development agencies; technology investment groups; workforce development organizations; education and research institutions; and private sector companies in the region. With the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania acting as the fiscal agent, Wall Street West has federal support through a $15 million Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor for education and job training, as well as a combined $24 million commitment by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and private industry to enhance existing infrastructure.
For more information on the Wall Street West partners and programs, please call 610-758-5226 or visit www.wallstreetwest.org.