News Archive: September 2010
Youth Career Summits
Lancaster: You are invited to attend the 7th Annual Youth Career Summit of the Youth Council of the Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board on Thursday, January 13, 2011 from 7:30-10:30 am at the Eden Resort Inn, 222 Eden Road in Lancaster.
This year's Summit will include...
A Career Education and Work Standards Strand Demonstration in a Standards Aligned System.
An Employer Panel with Representatives who Partner with Schools.
An Overview of our Local Labor Market and
Activities that are Aligned to the Career Education and Work Standards.
Act 48 Credits provided by Penn State - The Lancaster Center.
There is no charge for the Summit. However, registration is required. Click here to download the registration form and fax or e-mail it to Please fill out the attached registration form and submit to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 717-735-0335. Contact Andrew for more information at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
2010 YOUTH CAREER SUMMIT FOLLOW UP
Lancaster: Earlier in 2010, 138 educators, employers, parents, district administrators and community organizations joined us for the annual Youth Career Summit. We provided an overview of our local labor market and upcoming Youth Council initiatives at the event. New this year was the Youth Empowerment Award and interactive small group session.
From the results of surveys and the interactive session, it was determined that educators could use more support with the Career Education and Work Standards. The number one observation was that there is no district 'buy in' or push from administration to enforce the Standards.
In responding to this input, the Youth Council which coordinates the Youth Career Summit is addressing the situation in several ways.
Andrew Garner provided an overview of the Summit recommendations at a meeting of School Superintendents in May 2010 and highlighted what educators need to better address the Standards.
At the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board Symposium in June 2010, Andrew and members from the Youth Council served on a panel that focused on the need for more support from school district administration for the Career Education and Work Standards. During the session, representatives from the education and workforce systems from across the State were present and made aware of the need for a stronger push from the top down.
Also, the committee for the countywide Pathways Initiative partnership this year is coordinating a workshop for K-12 district personnel on a gap analysis of the Career Education and Work Standards. This workshop will be held on October 28, 2010. Everyone who attended the Youth Career Summit is invited to participate. At this workshop, we hope to discover strengths and weaknesses within each district and develop a plan to fill those gaps and build on the best practices that are occurring.
Training in Historic Preservation Techniques
Lancaster (Builder 2010 posted on August 31, 2010): Dismal market conditions have prompted many builders and trade contractors who previously specialized in new construction to explore alternative lines of work. Those enrolled in the preservation trades technology program at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, Pa., are hoping to add a few new skills that will open doors to building restoration projects.
Roughly 60 students are currently enrolled in this program, which began in 2008 and is geared towards professionals already working in the building and construction industry. Classes are offered on weekends and at night so that students can continue to work full time and put their new knowledge immediately into practice.
Located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, the program was founded after local market surveys indicated a need for reliable and knowledgeable contractors to rehab many of the area's historic homes. Research also found that many local builders were interested in cultivating restoration expertise.
While much of the building industry remains stagnant, demand for preservation expertise is growing, says Barry Loveland, chair of the school's preservation trades technology program advisory committee. "I have heard anecdotally from people ... that it is very difficult finding qualified contractors with the skills or knowledge to work on historic buildings," he says. And as time goes on and more buildings become designated as historic structures, demand for these skills will only increase.
