Oct. 4—NANTICOKE — From warnings that there "may never be enough nurses to care for our elderly" to inspirational descriptions of flight on Mars, the discussion during a "workforce development summit" at Luzerne County Community College Tuesday hit a lot of job training needs both present and future.

LCCC graduate and current Penn State Hazleton Engineering student Brian Tylutke started with history, hope and the hesitation some students have when considering the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

He note that a century ago Pennsylvania was a national leader in production of oil, coal and steel, and that with proper education it could become a leader in modern industries again. He called the math for engineering "daunting" to potential engineering students, and suggested pushing students out of their comfort zones can be the way to overcome the hesitation.

"We have to tell them that calculus is the way to explain the physical world without using words," he said.

"I think we've found a new motivational speaker," U.S. Rep Matt Cartwright quipped.

Cartwright, D-Moosic, cited the value of the NASA space projects that flew a small helicopter on Mars and steered a satellite into a small asteroid to see if a collision could alter the asteroid's path as examples where government spending can spark student imaginations.

Doing so is essential, Cartwright said, because the focus of many government officials has been forced to change from bringing jobs to their region to training a local workforce that could fill those modern jobs. He cited the exciting promise of the fracking boom, dashed when most high paying positions went to people with the needed experience from out of state.

"It was as clear as the nose on your face that the people weren't from here and the money wasn't staying here. All we were left with were holes in the ground."

Geisinger Health Care ambulatory nursing system director Erica Campbell warned that "there is a huge nursing shortage" at all levels and that "there are never going to be enough nurses to care for our elderly population that continues to grow." She said part of the solution has been to make sure each nurse is working at the highest level their training allows, forming teams that can include Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs).

Geisinger has been working to increase the number and use of CNAs by creating "partnerships in schools at every level" to expose students to the option.

It's not just nursing. InterMetro Industries Corporate Human Resources Director Susan Butchko-Krisa said "the need for labor has outstripped the supply" in most fields. InterMetro has tried to address shortages by "looking for a wider range of the talent pool" and working with high schools and colleges to create intern programs to get people both interested in and prepared for available jobs.

PA CareerLink Administrator Christine Jensen warned that the U.S. population is set to decline rather than expand, and that the country will "have to maximize a shrinking workforce" even as the "expectations of those coming into the workforce change." Those changes include the demand for child care, transportation, flexibility and benefits that are too often disappearing rather than increasing. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically hastened that change, she added.

All speakers pointed to the value of community colleges in facing future workforce demands, offering an inexpensive start with a certification that takes a few months or an associate degree in two years. Either can lead to a job which, in turn, may help offset additional education or training to assure enough workers with the right expertise.

State Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, noted that governmental red tape needs to be trimmed, and cited efforts to restore LCCC's dental assistant program in the wake of local demand. State approvals weren't given until the college helped spur people in the field to make the need clear.

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, mentioned his previous career as a teacher and stressed the need to provide as much education at as low a cost as possible. He outlined a cost-delay plan that could let students complete college education free, get a job and start paying for their degree through a payroll deduction.

"The more you know, the further you go," he said.

Cartwright offered a similar sentiment to stress the need to get students interested in fields where demand is sure to grow, particularly STEM. Pointing out that most of the biggest companies these days are involved in technology that didn't exist 20 years ago, he said "If we don't do everything to inspire young people to go into these fields, we're shooting ourselves in our feet."

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish