Lehigh Valley’s award-winning strategies to attract, develop, and retain the talent that employers need were shared with economic development professionals across Pennsylvania at a recent conference.
Karianne Gelinas, Vice President of Regional Partnerships & Talent Strategies at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), presented on “Conquering the Talent Conundrum” at the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association’s Spring Legislative Conference in late April. 
The association advocates to state legislators and other policymakers about economic development-related issues and provides its 400 members with resources and opportunities to enhance their professional knowledge.
Talent development and attraction are key for Pennsylvania as it aggressively accelerates its business attraction efforts. LVEDC is committed to sharing strategies that have contributed to the Lehigh Valley being named a top mid-sized market in the U.S. for economic development.
Gelinas explained how LVEDC forges and strengthens partnerships across businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations; conducts frequent talent research; and builds data-driven strategies to address specific talent needs.
LVEDC prioritized talent development a decade ago, long before it became a cornerstone of national economic development strategy, with the creation of its Talent Strategies Initiative. The initiative is led by Gelinas and is supported with funding by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Heralded nationally as a best practice by the International Economic Development Council, the initiative has produced data-driven strategies and research highlighting local talent supply, employer demands, market gaps, and the perceptions of alumni and young professionals considering relocation.
LVEDC’s strategies include:
The Education and Talent Supply Council: Consisting of about 200 members from more than 100 employers, educators, and community organizations, the council collectively create regional strategies to help the Lehigh Valley attract, develop, and retain its workforce.
Lehigh Valley Internship Summit: Held annually in partnership with the region’s colleges and universities, the event shares best practices for starting and growing internship programs. The annual Internship Resource Guide is a companion directory that includes information about internship programs, processes for how to create and evaluate a program, and a directory of the region’s colleges, universities, and career and technical schools.
Hot Careers Dashboard and Guide: These tools help students and job seekers explore career opportunities by providing data to explore jobs, industries, wages, educational programs, and more.
Apprenticeship and Pre-apprenticeship Programs: Advancing skilled training opportunities to meet the needs of employers by supporting the Industrial Training and Education Consortium of the Lehigh Valley (iTEC) and a pre-apprenticeship program under development at Bethlehem Area School District, among others.