Lehigh Valley’s economy is humming, with all-time highs in population, jobs, and economic output and twice in the past three years has been named the top mid-sized market in America. Continuing the momentum will require a concerted effort by educators, employers, and their partners to develop and train talent, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) leaders advised a group of school administrators. 
Don Cunningham, LVEDC President & CEO, and Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC Vice President of Talent Strategies, presented “Regional Futures: Economic Development, Workforce, and the Schools That Sustain Communities,” to the Lehigh University School Study Council on Oct. 7.
Part of Lehigh’s College of Education, the council is a consortium of school districts, schools, charter schools, and intermediate units that maintain a strong commitment to participating in professional development experiences.
The audience included school superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum directors, and others.
Cunningham told the council how the economy has grown to a Gross Domestic Product of $57.3 billion, more than two states. He explained how the region recently landed two billion-dollar investments that collectively will create more than 1,700 jobs – Eli Lilly and Company’s $3.5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing campus, and Chobani’s $1.2 billion dairy manufacturing operation.
He shared how LVEDC built a coalition of local leaders and showcased Lehigh Valley’s talent assets, which was a critical component in winning Lilly’s investment. He said state leaders including Gov. Josh Shapiro were instrumental in that competition against 300 other regions.
A similar collective effort landed Chobani, Cunningham said, with state, regional, and local leaders developing a plan to meet its wastewater needs.
He shared information on other new projects, including a $30 million expansion of Nokia’s semiconductor manufacturing operation and a new coffee roasting and extraction facility by Kerry Group, from Ireland.
Manufacturing continues to drive the economy, Cunningham said, with manufacturing employment growing three times as fast at the U.S. since 2010.
Gelinas told the Lehigh University School Study Council that it is essential for talent development to be a priority, because it’s foundational to economic development.
“It’s a privilege to speak with the School Study Council because these are the leaders who are making important decisions about what students learn,” Gelinas said. “Having them prioritize learning about the Lehigh Valley economy and in-demand skills and jobs here, arms them with the data and information they need to support the development of our region’s future workforce. As a result of our collaboration with education leaders, some schools have built career mentorship programs while others have started preapprenticeships and still others have restructured how students make course choices, rooting those decisions in the students’ career interests.”
Economic growth depends on attracting, developing, and retaining skilled workers, she said. A key to expanding the workforce is continued investment in making the Lehigh Valley a vibrant place to live, Gelinas said, because employers want to locate where people want to live.
Most workers will experience changes within their roles or may pivot to new roles as technology and employer needs evolve, she said. That means preparing workers with broader skillsets.
Gelinas highlighted several sectors where high job growth is expected.
Jobs with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills are projected to grow twice as fast as all other jobs in the Lehigh Valley in the next five years. Those jobs pay 65% higher wages than the regional average, and include industrial engineers, software developers, computer user support specialists, computer and information systems managers, and computer systems analysts.
Another field where careers pay significantly higher than the regional average is health care, with wages 64% higher, Gelinas said. Top health care jobs include nurses, physicians, pharmacy technicians, and health technologists and technicians.
Wages for manufacturing jobs are 32% higher than the regional average, Gelinas said, with high growth roles including industrial machinery mechanics, logisticians, software developers, and industrial and mechanical engineers.
Top skills that are sought by employers include the ability to communicate and collaborate, to solve problems, to adapt, to work independently, and to be detailed-oriented and organized, she said.
The Lehigh University School Study Council historically presents programs focused on issues that superintendents and other central office administrators address daily. Over the years, presenters have included both national and regional educational leaders at the forefront of current issues of interest to superintendents.
LVEDC has been a regular presenter to the council.
(Photos by LVEDC)