MA Hearing on What Modern Workers Need to be Able to Do

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A Massachusetts state Jobs Commission says filling the skills gap is one of the urgent tasks facing the Commonwealth. The job creation report concludes today's job market requires different skills than 20, 30 or 40 years ago.

“There are still a lot of manufacturing, but the manufacturing skills for many have changed.”

Senator Karen Spilka of Ashland is the co-chair of the 17-member panel:

“It would be now life sciences, now some clean energy jobs.  These are all growing sectors in our economy and need folks with those growing skills.”

Senator Micheal Roderigues [pronounced Rodericks] of Fall River says one of the biggest challenges for his region and the state is educating workers to fill those jobs.

“Fall River, like New Bedford and many other of the gateway cities around the commonwealth of Massachusetts, have a large number of unemployed individuals that have traditionally worked in those industries – in my case, the apparel and needle trade and textile industries that possess skills that are not directly transferable to a 21th century economy.  And how do we create opportunities and trailing programs, so that these individuals, many of whom are not young or entry level employees, how we provide these individuals , with the skills necessary to acquire a living wage job in the 21st century is a tremendous challenge."

The commission report recommends increasing the focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in pre k through college and conducting a statewide job vacancy survey at least once a year.