By Marian Pontz
“It starts with why – your why.”
As a collection of movers and shakers, educators and heads of nonprofits, business owners and local leaders, we excitedly came together for the second annual Changemakers’ Conference, hosted by Water Street Mission. What each of us learned, during that conference, was that we all need more of these types of gatherings of our minds and hearts.
Sandy Gabone, senior business ambassador at Water Street, welcomed all and introduced an agenda that featured a number of guest speakers, including Anne Kirby, founder of The Candy Factory; Pedro Rivera, president of Thaddeus Stevens College; and T.J. Foltz, founder of Humankind.
Our mission during those few hours? To address a need for a skilled workforce in Lancaster County. Many of the most skilled workers in Lancaster County will soon be retiring, and there are not enough workers to fill the positions. Many High School Career Centers (once known as vocational centers) have a waiting list of students, but – as we learned at the conference – there are not enough instructors. Those interested in becoming said instructors are forced to go through a lengthy and expensive higher education process; often, folks are faced with a dilemma: Is it really worth spending $30,000 on a degree to then make less money as an instructor, rather than working as an experienced tradesperson?
“What is needed is an affordable fast track for instructors,” said Liz Ackerman, executive director of the Northern Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce. “We have students excited for these professions, but now we have a bottleneck and waiting lists.”
However, the problem is not simple, nor can it be fixed by a singular approach. As one conference participant stated: “We need open discussions, opportunities to challenge new and old ideas, be thought-provoking, and bring everyone to the table.”
“What a blessing it is to work together to accomplish things and endeavor to make change in our community,” said Robert Cramer, of WSRM.
The most heartening takeaway, as a conference observer, was that there are large groups of dedicated experts who are using every resource and skill available to them to help us solve these problems, both immediately and by addressing long-term goals.
As Foltz said, “There is not a simple answer, but we begin by asking: Why do we want to engage in this discussion?” For all who were in the room that day, the answer is clear: to create a ripple effect, to build relationships and opportunities, to recognize problems, and to be pragmatic and passionate in our approaches to solving them.
On this beautiful spring day, many of Lancaster’s best and brightest came together to honestly explore the looming problem of a lack of a skilled workforce and to offer up all that they can, both now and in the future. Our why? Because we care about our families, neighbors, schools, and our communities, both in the short- and long-term. We must carve out the time now to care for all that we hold dear.
