By Frank Reeves, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
Friday, April 07, 2000

The New Economy of emerging technologies and dot.com companies may be getting all the attention these days. But the Old Economy still lives in southwestern Pennsylvania. About 163,000 people -16 percent of the region's private-sector jobs--work in manufacturing in the 13 counties.

But if manufacturing is to flourish, local companies need to find skilled workers for entry-level jobs. And that's where New Century Careers comes in. The nonprofit is seeking to establish itself as a regional center where companies turn when they need skilled workers and where workers turn when they want jobs and training.

It's an issue of critical importance to the roughly 3,800 manufacturers in southwestern PennsylvanIa, who pump a combined $41 billion into the region's economy, directly through salaries and spending and indirectly through the additional jobs and spending spawned by the original outlays.

Most of these companies are small, and the biggest problem they face is the lack of skilled workers," Paul Anselmo, president of New Century Careers, said at yesterday's opening of its new headquarters in the Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown. The shortage is so acute that some companies have had to turn down contracts because they feared they couldn't find enough skilled workers to complete the projects, said Barry Maciak, executive director of Duquesne University's Institute for Economic Transformation.

Part of the problem, said John Ross, of Kurt J. Lesker Co., is that high school students are often discouraged from pursuing the training that might lead to their getting a manufacturing job. They're told that college is a better bet, given the steel industry's decline and the exodus of big-name manufacturers such as Westinghouse Electric, said Ross, chief financial officer of the Pittsburgh-based maker and distributor of vacuum equipment and a member of New Century Careers' board. Growth is not possible without a reliable pool of workers with the right entry-Ievel skills," he said.

The nonprofit already has experience in job training and placement. Its MANUFACTURING 2000 program prepares workers for entry-Ievel jobs as machinists, welders and electronics assembly workers --occupations where there are critical shortages, manufacturers say. In 1998, MANUFACTURING 2000 graduated its first class of 15 machinists. By 2004, it hopes to train and place 3,600 people each year. Program participants pay no tuition, and training costs are underwritten by private foundations, manufacturers and the state government. The courses are short, ranging from seven to 21 weeks. Usually, they are held in the evenings so that participants can still continue to work.

Entry-level salaries at manufacturing companies vary, but it's estimated that first-time welders can expect to earn $9-to-$11 an hour, machinists $8-to-$10 an hour, and electronics assemblers $6-to-$8 an hour. Those interested in finding out more can call (800) 227-8210.

This article is reprinted with the permission of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.