The Hot Careers Dashboard, developed by Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) to help people explore local careers, has been recognized with a national award. 
The award, for “Projects Supporting Business, Economic, and Workforce Development Activities," was presented by The Council for Community and Economic Research on June 14 at the council’s annual conference in Norfolk, Va.
Accepting the award was Frank Alvarado, LVEDC Director of Research & Data Management, who developed the dashboard.
“The Council for Community and Economic Research is nationally recognized for its work, and it is an honor for such an organization to recognize the value of the Hot Careers Dashboard,” said Alvarado, a certified Tableau Desktop Specialist.
“We hope LVEDC’s work can serve as a model for other communities seeking to provide career development resources,” he said.
The Council for Community and Economic Research, also known as C2ER, develops and engages a diverse membership to elevate data driven decision making to ensure prosperous communities.
The Lehigh Valley Hot Careers Dashboard, which debuted in late 2023, is part of LVEDC’s award-winning talent development, attraction, and retention strategies. It was created with input from Lehigh Valley employers and educators.
The Hot Careers Dashboard is an interactive, digital resource to help students and job seekers explore careers that are growing in the Lehigh Valley’s major industry sectors. The online tool can be used to explore jobs, industries, wages, educational programs, and more to shape careers. The hyper-local data underscores the Lehigh Valley’s vast employment and training opportunities.
Anywhere on the dashboard that an occupation is listed, users can click in and learn more about it through the accompanying links that provide data such as average annual wages; education requirements and Lehigh Valley education institutions that offer that curriculum; and job posting counts.
The dashboard is a companion to the Lehigh Valley Hot Careers Guide, a printed publication distributed annually to more than 60,000 middle and high school students across the Lehigh Valley
The dashboard was created to package that material in an even more accessible and appealing interactive format for students and job seekers who prefer to access such information electronically.
LVEDC has created a tutorial video explaining how to use the Hot Careers Dashboard. View it here.
Alvardo recently was invited to present the dashboard at the Pennsylvania State Data Center’s 2024 Data User Conference, the state’s most comprehensive forum for research and development in demographic data.
The dashboard is an effort of the LVEDC Education and Talent Supply Council, led by Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC Vice President of Regional Partnerships and Talent Strategies. The council is a partnership of Lehigh Valley educational institutions, major employers, and economic development and workforce agencies.
The initiative has produced comprehensive research and data-driven solutions, like the dashboard, that strengthen the talent pipeline so that Lehigh Valley companies have the workforce they need to grow and thrive.
Other efforts have focused on such areas as attracting and retaining talent, career pathways, employability skills, talent research, and internships, apprenticeships, and mentorships.