Representatives of education, business and government approached the Wayne County Commissioners Thursday with news of a $285,000 grant. The group, making up the Action Committee of Workforce Wayne, was announcing funding received to assist in developing a strengthened labor pool for future job investment anticipated here.
The federal grant is a portion of more than $6.5 million being funneled to nine eastern Pennsylvania counties to bolster the work environment for industry looking to expand west from the New York City market.
This initiative is undertaken by Wall Street West, is a not-for-profit partnership in Northeastern Pennsylvania which formed in the wake of the terrorist attack on New York on September 11, 2001.
As explained in a press release, the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Department of the Treasury - whose recommendations make the nine-county region an optimal geographic location for secure data back-up and back office operations - the goal of Wall Street West is to work with firms in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan threat zones to establish supplemental facilities to safeguard data, fund the education and training of a growing workforce, and expand the competitiveness and potential of these industries.
Workforce Wayne will utilize grant funds to create a comprehensive workforce delivery system within Wayne County.  This includes hiring key personnel, establishing regional business-education partnerships, developing an effective communication strategy, and improving access to technology.
One of the goals is to re-establish a career one-stop facility in Wayne County. This would hopefully include a shared learning facility with the equipment to train workers, provide for distance learning and raise the bar of higher educational opportunity in the County.
Dr. Joann M. Hudak, Wallenpaupack Area High School Principal, said it was amazing what can be done through collaboration. She noted the state and the nation were moving ahead and education is at last being included in the discussion of economic development. In addition to the $285,000 grant, Hudak said $84,000 has been allocated to the Wallenpaupack, Western Wayne and Wayne Highlands School Districts. As a result, a “career camp” will be hosted at Wallenpaupack this summer and the other two districts will hold them next year.
A Career Liaison will be appointed to coordinate career related experiences with the three school districts and local workforce coordinators. The grant covers the first year. A comprehensive career development framework is foreseen, connecting educational programs, work experience and support services.
Added County Commissioner Anthony Herzog, who is also a member of Workforce Wayne, “This is a tremendous partnership,. It’s a change in the way we do business.”
It was no coincidence that ground was broken for the Sterling Business Park in Sterling Township last Friday, noted Commissioner Wendell Kay. With anticipated capacity of 1,500 jobs once the park is filled, the County is moving ahead to reinforce and expand a capable work force to fill those jobs.
Said Chairman Brian Smith, these community leaders from a broad spectrum, have stepped up to work together because they believe in the community.
The funds come from the federal Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) grant program of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Workforce Wayne is a partnership of representatives from three school districts and higher education institutions serving Wayne County, chambers of commerce, private businesses, economic development organizations, job service agencies, and non-profit organizations.  The initiative calls for collaboration, communication, and cooperation of many “non-traditional” workforce entities. It encompasses the entire county and includes regional partners, such as the Pocono Counties WIB and NEPA Alliance.
The goals of Workforce Wayne are to strengthen workforce quality, develop career opportunities, and foster a culture of lifelong learning.

MORE INFORMATION

The Workforce Wayne Action Committee, which meets monthly, is comprised of representatives from Wallenpaupack Area School District, Lackawanna College (Honesdale Branch), Northampton Community College, Wayne County Job Training, Wayne County CareerLink Services, PA Dept. of Welfare, Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Board, Wayne/ Pike Adult Literacy, Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, Southern Wayne Regional Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Economic Development Corporation, WIRED/Wall Street West, Human Resource Center, Inc., Wayne County Commissioners, Cherry Ridge Realty, Linde Enterprises, Inc., Woodloch Pines, Waste Management, and Wayne Memorial Health Systems.  
For more information about Workforce Wayne, contact Marie McDonnell, Wayne County Job Training, at (570)253-5970, ext. 1765.
The Wall Street West partnership is made up of the top-tier economic development agencies; technology investment groups; workforce development organizations; education and research institutions; and private sector companies in the region.
For more information on the Wall Street West partners and programs, please call (610)758-5233 or visit www.wallstreetwest.org
Goals of Workforce Wayne
Below are the major components of the proposal to utilize the Wall Street West WIRED grant:
(a) Hiring of key personnel. Workforce Wayne plans to staff two positions initially - Director of Workforce Initiatives, and a Business-Education Liaison. We are aware that other GAP proposals may seek to establish workforce coordinator positions; we would want to collaborate to meet both our internal (County) needs and to link to a regional workforce delivery system. The Business-Education Liaison would provide administrative support. We expect our cash matching funds to pay for a portion of the compensation for this staff position.                                                          '
(b) Create a state-of-the-art Shared Learning Facility. One of our strategic action items is "to provide integrated employer and employee services in a responsive, seamless and easily accessible format", that is, to re-establish a career one-stop in Wayne County. We understand that this undertaking would require broad support across agencies and organizations, but it will be a cornerstone to improved services and resources for our residents. We would like to house a shared-learning facility within this one-stop, including computers, software, network, internet 2, broadband access, videoconferencing, printers, and accessories. In essence, we would provide the educational infrastructure to train incumbent workers, provide for distance learning, and bring more higher education offerings to the County.
(c) Support critical activities aligned with WSW recommendations.
• Develop a Community Outreach Campaign
Strategic action items include identifying a means of integrating Workforce Wayne Program of Work into business' annual goals; promoting involvement with regional Industry Partnerships; identifying, promoting, and augmenting educational facilities for adult learners, create more opportunities for community involvement, and educating audiences on the requirements of the new skill-based economy.
• Develop rural career development centers
Acquiring technology to take advantage of the exiting library network within the County and utilizing staff and facilities as a local service delivery point for career development.
• Develop Financial Service Industry School-To-Work Program Strategic action items include developing career ladders, building a pipeline of workersthrough high school programs aimed at dual enrollment, increasing the number of students engaged and completing post-secondary education, and creating internships for high school students. WSW seeks new strategies, collaboration, actions, and investment "to create an integrated and sustainable economic and workforce development system". We want to create a model program that will transform how our schools are approaching work-based education and integrating it into the new, collaborative workforce system that is being developed by Workforce Wayne.
Education funding
Wallenpaupack Area School District has announced that it will serve as the fiscal agent for the Pike/Wayne Education Partnership, a recipient of the latest round of Wall Street West funding.  The program, which will provide $84,000 for Northeastern Pennsylvania, was one of 24 projects highlighted at the landmark regional meeting. 
Wallenpaupack Area School District is serving as the fiscal Agent for the Pike/Wayne Education Partnership.
Partnership Members/Collaborators:
Wallenpaupack Area School District, Michael Silsby, Superintendent
Wayne Highlands School District, Thomas Jenkins, Superintendent
Western Wayne School District, Andrew Falonk, Superintendent
Penn State Worthington-Scranton, Kim Vangarelli, Director of Continuing Education
Northampton Community College, John Drake, Pike/Wayne Administrator
NEPA Tech-Prep consortium, Jackie Stash, Director
Workforce Wayne, Mary Beth Wood, Executive Director
Pocono Counties Workforce Investment Board, Joe Sebellin, Executive Director
Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board, Nancy Discninat, Executive Director

This grant proposal will serve as a catalyst to energize and focus the dialogue between K-12 education leaders and their education, business, and government partners as they work together to step into a leadership role, forging a future of promise for students across the educational spectrum.
Expected outcomes for this project are:
• a dynamic, comprehensive career development system for K-12 students
• increased long-term partnerships among higher education, business, industry, and local leadership
• a model designed for replication in all Wayne and Pike County schools
• increased academic and skill achievement at secondary and postsecondary levels
• decreased need for remediation at the postsecondary level
• increased enrollment and persistence in postsecondary education
• increased rate of entry into employment or further education
Goals/Objectives:
•  To appoint a Career Liaison who will coordinate career related experiences with the three school districts and local workforce coordinators. This will be a one year position under the grant and is expected to be sustained by the three districts in the future
• To develop a comprehensive career development framework connecting educational programs with integrated work experience and support services
•  To create pipelines for students to combine school and work and advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training
• To develop career focused curriculum and related experiences that support students as they transition to postsecondary education and enhanced training opportunities
•  to integrate regional labor market research and engage business and industry in creating opportunities for work based learning
•  To provide a framework for workforce development by integrating the programs and resources of community colleges and other education institutions, workforce agencies, and social service providers.