NEPA: We're dumb. (Pittston, Newtown: schools, college, live in)

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by Huskyz

I question if the lack of educated people is the main reason more 'good' jobs aren't found in NEPA. If an area attracts employers/businesses, they will staff in many ways, including:

• transfer existing employees from other business sites

• obtain skilled and to be trained new hires from:
  • locally available experienced/educated,
  • recent local grads (there are plenty here every year),
  • out of town experienced and grads
  • skilled competitors employees

• supplement the above with temps and consultants as needed, especially on narrow 'technical' projects (IT, telecom, etc)

Few businesses require lots of new employees in a compressed technical area and time frame, especially during start up. In a large company or ongoing operation, staffing and training happens over time, months or years. Companies even often want to train their own staff.

Recent examples like gas-drilling ops and casinos are creating and staffing jobs. The med center, universities, logistics-trucking and Sanofi Pasteur are other examples. I am sure there are more. (Yes not all the examples are 100% higher education type jobs, but few companies of size are either.)

An interesting related point is that some in prosperous regions (CT and parts of NY for example) with a highly educated population, have been decrying losing many of their 'best and brightest' because of the cost of housing/living/taxes.

How much of the lack of jobs in NEPA is due to local 'education'? There are many other factors. Just thinkin'

Good points. I said that lack of educated residents is one of the factors in why businesses probably don't move here.

I can't help but wonder why a good, solid business would want to move here and it's more than just lack of an educated workforce, IMO.

[theatergypsy]

Jeez Paw. Maybe we shoulda made Junior get more o' that there book larnin'.

The companies that left this area over the last 15 or so years had a stable work-force, trained to do their jobs. They left the area because they could get cheap labor elsewhere. And the new workers had to be trained to do the work the ex-employees already knew how to do. But it was worth it because the new workers were willing to work for less and that added to the bottom line.

People who had worked at their jobs for 20 or more years were suddenly looking for jobs that no longer existed. Thomson, Techneglass, Leslie Fay and the satellite factories - to name just a few.
Some of the younger ones took advantage of the TRA and attempted to retrain, but by the time they finished the schooling, more employers had gone and there were even fewer jobs.

But to call people "dumb"? People who built a city and grew it and prospered? People who worked every day and bought homes and raised their children to have a better life than they or their ancestors? People who were victims of the corporate greed and political corruption that developed while they were busy taking care of their own? Victims who, while they didn't have the opportunity for a formal education did learn to do the jobs that kept the factories operating and made the fat cats fatter. And sent their children off with their educations to find a job and a life away from here and it broke their hearts to see them go but they knew there wasn't a choice.

No, not dumb. Just defeated.

[sp2007]

I was educated in NEPA, from elementary to high school and a member of the Honor Society. I also attended Penn State Worthington and University Park (which isn't NEPA, but it is still PA).

When I graduated 10 years ago, there were no jobs in my field in NEPA so I had to move away. It isn't a lack of educated work force, its a lack of investors/employers.

Still, I would love for it to change so I could re-evaluate my location.

[sues1]

Originally Posted by theatergypsy

Jeez Paw. Maybe we shoulda made Junior get more o' that there book larnin'.

The companies that left this area over the last 15 or so years had a stable work-force, trained to do their jobs. They left the area because they could get cheap labor elsewhere. And the new workers had to be trained to do the work the ex-employees already knew how to do. But it was worth it because the new workers were willing to work for less and that added to the bottom line.

People who had worked at their jobs for 20 or more years were suddenly looking for jobs that no longer existed. Thomson, Techneglass, Leslie Fay and the satellite factories - to name just a few.
Some of the younger ones took advantage of the TRA and attempted to retrain, but by the time they finished the schooling, more employers had gone and there were even fewer jobs.

But to call people "dumb"? People who built a city and grew it and prospered? People who worked every day and bought homes and raised their children to have a better life than they or their ancestors? People who were victims of the corporate greed and political corruption that developed while they were busy taking care of their own? Victims who, while they didn't have the opportunity for a formal education did learn to do the jobs that kept the factories operating and made the fat cats fatter. And sent their children off with their educations to find a job and a life away from here and it broke their hearts to see them go but they knew there wasn't a choice.

No, not dumb. Just defeated.

You're right

[NYRangers 2008]

This is no surprise to me at all. Every day, when I step out of the door, I see uneducated and not very smart people around here. I wouldn't say dumb, just a lot of stupid people.

[jimazee]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

This is no surprise to me at all. Every day, when I step out of the door, I see uneducated and not very smart people around here. I wouldn't say dumb, just a lot of stupid people.

Heck, no need to step outside, just turn on the computer

[sues1]

Originally Posted by NYRangers 2008

This is no surprise to me at all. Every day, when I step out of the door, I see uneducated and not very smart people around here. I wouldn't say dumb, just a lot of stupid people.

I see people that have a hard time holding a standard conversation, also alot of people around here are half illiterate, i don't get that at all. When i had a hard time reading in school i was pulled into a special class and they drilled it into my head until i got it. What? do they just graduate students here for the hell of it? How do you even get to high school without being able to read well? By the time you are of high school age you should be reading with no problem.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by sues1

I see people that have a hard time holding a standard conversation, also alot of people around here are half illiterate, i don't get that at all. When i had a hard time reading in school i was pulled into a special class and they drilled it into my head until i got it. What? do they just graduate students here for the hell of it? How do you even get to high school without being able to read well? By the time you are of high school age you should be reading with no problem.

Because school systems that are already underfunded just push kids through so they don't lose more funding. It's sad.

[auntieannie68]

Originally Posted by sues1

I see people that have a hard time holding a standard conversation, also alot of people around here are half illiterate, i don't get that at all. When i had a hard time reading in school i was pulled into a special class and they drilled it into my head until i got it. What? do they just graduate students here for the hell of it? How do you even get to high school without being able to read well? By the time you are of high school age you should be reading with no problem.

if you knew the intelligence and background of many of the educators here you would understand why(and this includes the principals and school board members

[Huskyz]

Golly, many of you posters here are so much more intelligent, educated, worldly and sophisticated than NEPA's educators and, through them, its residents.

NEPA is fortunate to have you all visit its little corner of the world and share your brilliance. Many thanks.