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January 15, 2009

Lawrence County part of interstate job partnership

By Michael Roknick

In what is being billed as the first in the nation, a five-county job partnership is being created between Pennsylvania and Ohio.

“I think it’s a fantastic approach for job development,’’ said Larry Reichard, executive director of Penn-Northwest Development Corp., Mercer County’s lead development agency. “Governors of both states are on board on this.’’

Under the project, which is expected to get final approval in April, Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania and Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties in Ohio would create a workforce partnership.

It would be the first time in the nation two states agreed to cooperate on job development, including training and education. Area chambers of commerce, businesses and economic development agencies will be asked for their input.

Tentatively called “Five-Star In,’’ the idea behind this cooperative would be to break down governmental and other barriers erected between the two states. Further, it would allow the five counties to concentrate their resources as a region. Ideally, by forming this workforce cooperative it would also attract more federal and state funds for job creation.

Representatives of the five counties have been working to create the cooperative over the past year under a $250,000 federal grant. Under the plan, the three separate workforce boards in the five-county region would remain in place, including the West Central Workforce Investment Board that oversees Mercer and Lawrence Counties.

One result of the regional cooperative could be to create more matriculation agreements among colleges in the five-county region, said Sam Giannetti, executive director of West Central.

“Somebody can be working on credits at Butler Community College or Penn State Shenango and then be able to transfer them to Youngstown State University,’’ Giannetti said.

The cooperative has been approved by both state’s Work Boards, he added.

In looking at the region Giannetti said it’s easy to see the population actively moves among the area in terms of seeking jobs. There were about 100 Mercer County residents, for example, who were part of the recent temporary layoffs at General Motors Corp.’s Lordstown automotive complex.

By having a single workforce cooperative it would give the region its own distinct identity, Reichard noted.

“It really makes sense to do this,’’ he said. “We’re sitting here on the Ohio line 60 miles from Pittsburgh and 90 miles from Erie. We’re kind of in the middle of things. Our economic region tends more to look at the three counties in Ohio than it does to Pittsburgh or Erie.’’

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