FEDERALhearing transcript

House Small Business Committee Field Hearing on Workforce Skills Gap

Original title: FIELD HEARING IN NEWPORTVILLE, PA: WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP

January 1, 2018

workforce development small business manufacturing occupational licensing labor market

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing serves as a formal record for federal lawmakers to evaluate potential changes to workforce development programs and requirements that affect hiring practices for Pennsylvania's small businesses and manufacturing sector.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners

They face challenges in recruiting qualified labor and competing with large corporations for talent.

Manufacturing workers

They are subject to industry-specific labor trends and potential changes to workforce development and licensing requirements.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The U.S. House Committee on Small Business held a in Newportville, PA, to examine the ''—the difficulty small businesses face in finding qualified workers despite low unemployment. The hearing featured testimony from labor, education, and industry representatives regarding workforce development programs and the impact of .

Key Facts

The hearing was held on February 26, 2018, at the Boilermakers Local Lodge No. 13 in Newportville, PA.
Small businesses in Pennsylvania employ approximately 50 percent of the state's workforce.
Manufacturing firms in Pennsylvania employ roughly 10 percent of the state's workforce.
The 'skills gap' is defined as the difficulty small businesses and industries face in finding qualified applicants for open positions.
The committee discussed the impact of occupational licensing, noting that while intended for safety, some requirements may be burdensome to workers.
The hearing included testimony from representatives of the AFL-CIO, Bucks County Community College, and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 'skills gap' discussed in the hearing?

It refers to the difficulty small businesses and specific industries face in finding qualified workers to fill open positions, even during periods of economic growth.

Why was this hearing held in Pennsylvania?

The committee held the to gather local testimony on how workforce development programs and affect small businesses and the manufacturing sector in Pennsylvania.

Why It Matters

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Focus on Occupational Licensing

The hearing transcript shows an explicit interest by committee members in re-evaluating the necessity and burden of state-level occupational licensing.

Committee on Small Business Dwight Evans

Connected Entities

personPatrick Eiding“President, Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO”Map →

personDwight Evans“U.S. Representative, Ranking Member”Map →

personAlex Halper“Director of Government Affairs, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry”Map →

personBrian Fitzpatrick“U.S. Representative, Chairman of the hearing”Map →

organizationCommittee on Small Business“U.S. House of Representatives committee”Map →

personSusan Herring“Interim Executive Director, Center for Workforce Development, Bucks County Commu”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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