Lehigh Valley, PA is a hotbed of innovation in science and technology, developing products and services to protect the health of people around the world and ensure smooth, reliable consumer experiences, a crowd of about 240 people were told at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation's Fall Signature Event.
The Oct. 10 event, “Tech & Talent for Tomorrow’s Lehigh Valley,” was held at Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown and sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, now proudly part of Jefferson Health. The event explored the region’s science and technology industries, and spotlighted how STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) education is critical to developing the talent those sectors need for the future. 
The Lehigh Valley’s $50 billion economy - larger than the economy of two states - includes about 170 life sciences companies. Manufacturing continues to be a leading economic driver, with more than 700 manufacturers collectively producing an output of $16 billion. The region’s population is growing, particularly young adults, the type of talent that’s in demand for employers.
At the Fall Signature Event, executives from leading Lehigh Valley companies Evonik Corporation; Olympus Corporation of the Americas; OraSure Technologies, Inc.; and Shift4 said during a panel discussion they will need more engineers, scientists, technology experts, and other specialists to continue to innovate and grow their global operations.
And they are confident they can find that talent in the Lehigh Valley.
"Lehigh Valley is so rich in talent," said Amy Steigerwalt, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, OraSure Technologies. The global medical diagnostics manufacturer based in Bethlehem produces at-home tests for COVID-19, Ebola, HIV, and Hepatitis C, among others. OraSure opened a new production facility in Bethlehem Township in 2022.
The region’s 11 colleges and universities, which collectively graduate more than 10,000 students annually in a wide range of disciplines, are a key part of the talent development pipeline, the panelists said.
Olympus Corporation of the Americas, which has its headquarters in Center Valley and its main distribution center in Breinigsville, was drawn to the Lehigh Valley because of the skilled workforce.
Richard Reynolds, President of the Medical Systems Group at Olympus, said the company has developed a successful fellowship program with area college students.
“We put them on a two-year program which exposes them to every area of the organization, with a commitment from us that at the end of that, we would provide them with a junior management position,” Reynolds said.
“We now have some individuals who started 18 years ago, who are in senior executive positions within the organization and the wealth of talent and the fresh ideas and the challenging viewpoints that come into our organization every year from these local individuals is what makes us the company we are here in the United States of America,” he said.
The Lehigh Valley’s reputation for having a strong, innovative workforce is what drew Evonik Corporation to the region as well. The producer of specialty chemicals operates its North American research and development facility in Upper Macungie Township.
"Being able to attract and retain talent is critical to our future success, and that's a big reason why we decided on the Lehigh Valley for our research, development, and innovation North American headquarters," said Robert Cuscino, Senior Vice President Regional Development – North America at Evonik.
Quality of Life Attracts, Retains Workers
The Lehigh Valley’s quality of life is a selling point for recruiting talent into the region, panelists said. Shift4, a financial technology company with its global headquarters in Center Valley, recently held a talent talk on LinkedIn that showcased the company’s headquarters via live video with an operations manager explaining everything that life in the Lehigh Valley offers, said Allison Valentin, Shift4’s Director of Talent Acquisition. 
“He gave a fantastic rundown of why it is so amazing to live and work in the Valley. So again, such great talent here, but when we're thinking about, how do we bring some of that talent that is an untapped market that might not be here, and get them excited about coming into Lehigh Valley?” Valentin said.
To attract that talent, the company offers robust relocation packages, she said.
Olympus employees who have relocated to the Lehigh Valley act as ambassadors for the region and promote it to others, Reynolds said.
“Once people come into the Valley and join us, it's very rare that they leave. Because it's a wonderful place to raise a family. It's close to metropolitan cities, so that you can enjoy that, but it's got that rural element to it and some really great places to go out and eat so it kind of ticks all the boxes,” he said.
Retaining the workforce that companies develop is critical, and Cuscino said Evonik makes those discussions part of the hiring process. The result has been that Evonik’s location in the Lehigh Valley has one of the top retention rates within the company.
“It is an absolutely fantastic area,” he said. “Before you even hire these people, you want to share all these wonderful attributes that the Valley has to offer. We have proximity to New York City. We have proximity to Philadelphia, proximity to Boston. So, when you think about innovation, those are three critical areas around the United States where innovation occurs. We're in the middle of all of it, and that, in and of itself, is a wonderful retention attribute.”
“I really believe that the Lehigh Valley is a microcosm of eds and meds,” Steigerwalt said. “Lots of educational institutes, lots of fantastic medical institutes here. And we really have built a vibrant culture, a vibrant community. There are organizations that have been here for years, and we have to continue to keep those vibrant communities going to really retain and attract the talent to come into the Lehigh Valley and places like the Da Vinci Science Center. I've been bringing my two girls here since they were three years old, and it's been such a great place to show them what they can do.”
Da Vinci Science Center
Da Vinci Science Center, which opened in May, was chosen as the location for LVEDC’s Fall Signature Event because it is an asset for developing the Lehigh Valley’s workforce of the future, exposing young visitors and their families to the possibilities available to them.
“We look at it as part of economic development. It's really the first rung on the ladder of getting young people interested in science and technology, engineering, and math,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of LVEDC. “It's fabulous that we here in the Lehigh Valley have an institution like this.”
Among the 67,000 square feet of interactive experiences are several that showcase the innovative businesses leading the Lehigh Valley’s growing economy, and highlight the diverse, in-demand career opportunities in science-related fields.
“We have designed the exhibit galleries in our new science center to illustrate STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art and math - in action, and to expose students, teachers, and families throughout the region to the growing health and technology sectors and career opportunities,” said Lin Erickson, Executive Director & CEO.
The center’s STEAM Learning Center includes fully equipped classrooms, a Fab Lab, a media production studio, a science kitchen, and an Early Learning Center.
“The laboratory and workshop spaces were designed to provide opportunities for students of all ages, from preschool through adult,” Erickson said.
The STEAM Career Pathways program is available to students in grades 6 to 12.
“This allows students to explore their career interests, to meet practicing professionals, to build employability skills and 21st century skills - teamwork, communication, critical thinking and creativity - to take hands on workshops, to visit employer sites, and the experiences culminate with a paid internship,” Erickson said.
Biggest Talent Needs
Information technology specialists and scientists are the top needs at OraSure, Steigerwalt said.
“That's really where we go back to our universities and try to create the talent that we need,” Steigerwalt said.
Chemical engineers are a need for Evonik.
“We need to be exposing young boys and girls to science and technology careers, because there is such a need right now for the STEAM field. So, we would love to see more engineers come into the Valley,” Cuscino said.
Shift4 seeks software engineers, Valentin said.
“I would have people that are so excited for tech. I would have the people that are ready to move the needle and do really innovative work in our space. Those are the positions that we crave, people with that talent, that have those skills that we would need to continue to build our products out,” she said.
Fall Signature Event Sponsors
Lehigh Valley Health Network was the presenting sponsor of “Tech & Talent for Tomorrow’s Lehigh Valley” and the event included tours of LVHN’s “My Body” exhibit at Da Vinci.
“While our mission involves healing, it's also important for people to stay well, to learn how to stay healthy, and to stay knowledgeable about their bodies so they can make the best health choices for their lives. The ‘My Body’ exhibit helps make that happen, and it also supplements the work of thousands of physicians across the region,” said Lisa Liddington, Vice President, LVH–17th Street and LVHN Operations, Program Director, School-Based Health.
She said LVHN’s partnership with Da Vinci is among the ways it is working with the community to introduce young people to careers in medicine.
“We need to get young people involved and interested in those careers so that we can continue offering that amazing care here. And we need to provide an environment that's nurturing for them and that mentorship that helps make it happen,” Liddington said.
Also sponsoring LVEDC’s Fall Signature Event were Cocktail Sponsor Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba P.C.; Gold Sponsors HNL Lab Medicine, J.G. Petrucci Co., Inc., Klunk & Millan Advertising, MKSD architects, and Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development; and Silver Sponsors Boyle Construction, BSI Corporate Benefits, Crayola, EARTHRES, JULABO USA, Inc., OraSure Technologies, Inc., and QNB.
(Photos by Marco Calderon Photography and LVEDC).