PA, Ohio Form Nation's First
Interstate Workforce Region

HARRISBURG – Residents in Western Pennsylvania and Northeastern Ohio will have access to new workforce development opportunities through the nation’s first Interstate Workforce Region that Governor Edward G. Rendell and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced today.

“A workforce with the skills and training to succeed in the 21st-century workplace is essential, and Pennsylvania’s local and regional workforce development partners are helping us realize that goal,” Governor Rendell said. “The Interstate Region is a logical extension of our current workforce development strategies, and I am pleased that we can partner with Ohio to create and implement workforce strategies that will benefit the workforce and employers in our states.”

“Regional collaboration is more important than ever as a driver of economic growth, especially in these challenging economic times,” Governor Strickland said. “We look forward to working closely with our partners in Pennsylvania on ways to more effectively and efficiently improve workforce development initiatives in these five counties.”

The Interstate Region includes Pennsylvania’s West Central Workforce Investment Area – Lawrence and Mercer counties – and Ohio’s Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The partnership was recommended by the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and its Ohio counterpart.

PA Workforce Investment Board Executive Director Robert Garraty participated in an official announcement event that took place during a joint Pennsylvania/Ohio leadership meeting in Warren, Ohio.

The designation, effective Jan. 1, 2009, allows partners to share information, plan jointly and coordinate services to the region’s workforce and employers.

The federal Workforce Investment Act provides the framework for a national workforce preparation and employment system designed to meet both the needs of the nation’s businesses and the needs of job seekers and those who want to further their careers. The Act emphasizes that training and employment programs must be designed and managed at the local level where the needs of businesses and individuals are best understood.

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