DeFlyer and cousin Don Vidler have co-owned the store for 35 years, creating displays in only hours that are as comprehensive as the products sold inside. Windows include quaint ceramic snowmen, Santa statues, light-up presents and holiday lawn signs.

The community also took the reins on a window with an Aurora Historical Society theme, using festive crochet blankets, sewn pillows and poinsettia-patterned tablecloth, lined up top with a map of historic East Aurora.

There are elves hard at work in the display windows outside of Fisher-Price on Girard Avenue, just off Main Street in East Aurora. (When you pass Vidlers on your right, hang a right on Riley Street.)

A dozen or so 2-foot-high antique figurines sport red and green plaid and white beards, working away at making toys for Santas sleigh and surrounded by sawdust, paint cans, Christmas trees and Rudolph.

Fisher-Price senior electrician Matt Alice starts assembling the circa-1920s and '30 displays every September and is ready to go by Thanksgiving.

It gives everyone hope. They see the lights, make sure that the holiday is coming, Alice said. Theres so much going on in our world today, that maybe something a little stable thats been going on for years, put up in the same fashion, something to cling onto.

Read the original:
Festivities on foot: Take a walking tour of holiday windows - Buffalo News

The vessel will be used to transfer different types of solid waste from Dalma Island in Al Dhafra Region to Ruwais landfill on a regular basis.

The first marine waste vessel in Abu Dhabi with the capacity to transfer 200 tonnes of trash per week has been launched in Al Dhafra region.

The Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) introduced it as part of its continued efforts to enhance the collection, transportation and treatment of solid waste.

The vessel will be used to transfer different types of solid waste from Dalma Island in Al Dhafra Region to Ruwais landfill on a regular basis.

The first-of-its-kind facility in the emirate of Abu Dhabi articulates Tadweers continued efforts to protect the environment and ensure the public health and safety in line with the highest international standards.

Compared to traditional methods, the vessel can accommodate large-sized waste containers, doubling the centres capacity to transfer huge amounts of waste from different areas of the island.

The 79-tonne vessel is approximately 26 meters long, and is operated under the supervision of a permanent crew comprising six members, including two captains, a mechanic, an electrician and two assistants.

The vessel will operate six times a week, carrying a total 200 tonnes of waste in a highly professional and environment-friendly manner.

Dr Salem Al Kaabi, director-general of Tadweer, said: The opening of our first marine waste vessel comes as part of Tadweers continued efforts to develop an integrated waste management system to address the challenges posed by the increasing amounts of waste. Such efforts contribute to achieving Abu Dhabi governments objective of promoting environment sustainability and minimising the adverse effects of pollution on the environment.

We launched this facility to provide the highest standards of waste management services in Dalma Island and to ensure its aesthetic appeal as a destination that boasts many tourist attractions and natural treasures.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

Original post:
Marine vessel to carry 200 tonnes of trash every week in Abu Dhabi - Khaleej Times

The Loudoun County Health Department is tracking at least three outbreaks of COVID-19 resulting from Halloween parties put on by kids, said Health Department Director Dr. David Goodfriend.

Goodfriend told county supervisors on Nov. 17 that those were among a number of outbreaks in Loudoun over the past several weeks that were preventable.

COVID-19 cases in Loudoun continue to climb, with the Health Department reporting the latest seven-day rolling average of new cases as 65.7 new cases a day as of Nov. 18. While cases are climbing, they have not reached the peak of new infections Loudoun saw at the end of May, when there were more than 100 new cases a day.

That puts Loudoun in a better place than the state at large, which has already far exceeded the first surge of COVID-19 cases and is setting new records for the viruss spread, with an average of 1,761 new cases a day across Virginia.

Loudoun so far is also more fortunate than some other areas of the country; in some areas, some hospitals are already nearing capacity. That has meant hospitals in the DC region are absorbing patients from other areas; HCA StoneSprings Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Amy Paratore said that hospital has been getting patients transferred in from southwest Virginia, Spotsylvania, and West Virginia.

So far Loudouns healthcare systems are not yet stressed, Goodfriend said, but he warned winter weatherand its accompanying surge in respiratory diseases of all typesis not yet here.

Right now, were a relief valve for some of the other areas that dont have capacity, Goodfriend said. As opposed to what was going on earlier in the year, this is a national problem right now, so as we get over overwhelmed, there really arent many places to offload cases to out of the National Capital Region.

He said the best thing to do now is try to keep COVID cases as low as possible, away from people who are most likely to be hospitalized with it.

As opposed to April, May and June, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, Goodfriend said. Thats vaccination. But theres going to be unfortunately, significant darkness before we get to that light, and we really need everyone to participate in these next couple months.

But one bright spot, Goodfriend said: Currently health officials are not aware of anyone who contracted COVID-19 by voting in November. He commended Loudouns elections officers, who worked together with his office to make the election as safe and smooth as possible.

This is the time when folks really need to take those steps, as was mentioned by the hospitals, of keeping your distance, wearing your mask, and if youre at all feeling sick, stay home and get a test, Goodfriend said. []Lets learn from Halloween. If we dont have to travel at Thanksgiving, lets not, and lets not put on parties.

Related

Read the rest here:
Halloween Parties Caused at Least 3 COVID-19 Outbreaks - Loudoun Now

Donald Norcross Is The Last Person Who Should Be Throwing Around Words Like Catastrophic And B.S.

Norcross calls Postal Service changes, B.S., but we all know the real B.S. is Norcross policies

COLLINGSWOOD Claire Gustafson, Republican candidate for Congress in New Jerseys First Congressional District, said today that Congressman Donald Norcross is the last person who should be throwing around words like catastrophic and B.S.

At issue is that according to published reports Donald Norcross, at a press conference at the Bellmawr Postal Service processing center, referred to changes made in Postal Service operations by the Post Master General as catastrophic and said, Its B.S.

Its laughable that Congressman Donald Norcross would refer to anything as catastrophic when the real catastrophe in our congressional district was created by him, Claire Gustafson said. In February 2014, when he announced his first run for Congress, Norcrossbraggedthat he led the charge on getting the Economic Opportunity Act passed into law, the very law that led to his family and friends getting $550 Million in tax breaks.

Gustafson continued, Norcross went on to refer to Postal Service changes as B.S. when we all know the real B.S. comes from his mouth every time he mentions being a union electrician when he hasnt set foot on a job site in around 20 years. I interact with union labor more at industry trade shows for my business on job sites more often than he does.

Gustafson added, The catastrophic B.S. is local media allowing Donald Norcross to back away from his early bragging about the role he played in passing the law that ensured his family and friends got all those tax breaks. It must be nice to be part of the political cartel that rules South Jersey, the media even gave Norcross a free pass whenhe compared Camden City workers to childrenwhile backing up Holtecs owner after he made controversial comments.

Gustafson continued, Many of those tax incentives created by the law Norcross bragged about passing could have been used to help other areas of the district that are hurting. Imagine if businesses were helped move to the area of the Paulsboro Port. We might be bringing in steel from Brazil rather than wasting opportunity on Russian steel and taxpayers might finally be getting a return on their $255 million investment. Instead Donald Norcross worked hard in the state Senate to get tax breaks for his family and friends in Camden. As a member of Congress he seems to forget the district runs south to the Gloucester County Border with Salem County. He represents more than just the political cartel that rules South Jersey.

Its time to put an end to the catastrophic B.S. created by Norcross and the political cartel he happens to be a member of and thats why Im running for Congress, Gustafson said.

(Visited 39 times, 39 visits today)

Go here to see the original:
Norcross Is The Last Person Who Should Be Throwing Around Words Like Catastrophic And BS - InsiderNJ

Norwich Viewing municipal utilities as a "gold standard" and hoping they can be used as a "measuring stick" for storm response, Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, joined state legislators at Norwich Public Utilities on Tuesday to hear about NPU's storm response.

The visit came among ongoing and widespread criticism of Eversource for its response to Tropical Storm Isaias, and a day after Energy and Technology Committee leaders unveiled bipartisan regulatory legislation.

NPU General Manager Chris LaRose and spokesperson Chris Riley hosted Courtney, Energy and Technology Committee Chairman state Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex; and state Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, for a discussion in NPU's emergency operations center.

According to NPU, 35% of customers lost power due to Isaias, but of those 7,500 customers, 99% had power restored in two days and 100% in three days.

"When the storm came, I don't think anybody honestly predicted the damage that was going to happen," LaRose said, but noted that NPU prepared for a Category 3 hurricane.

In the response, he said the utility's priorities were hospitals, then business centers, then places with the most customers per outage. But he also said NPU doesn't wait until the end to deal with outages that affect only one or two households.

NPU has 146 employees, and all the general managers are unionized. That's about the same number of workers NPU had in 2011, when Connecticut saw massive power outages from both Hurricane Irene and the October snowstorm.

LaRose said it takes about 10 years for someone to become a skilled lineman, and the company pre-fills jobs before they're vacant if they know a lineman is approaching retirement age.

He said there's no program in the state technical school system specifically for linemen but NPU looks for people who have a "high school education with a strong intellectual background" and gets some people who come in with an electrician's license.

NPU has 11 linemen responsible for power restoration, and after power was restored for all NPU customers following Isaias, eight worked from the Saturday to the Wednesday after the storm providing mutual aid to Eversource. They helped people in Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme and Waterford, for example.

NPU rates are about 24% less than those of Eversource but it varies throughout the year, La Rose said. NPU is holding a public hearing next week on rates and looking to put out a three-year rate schedule.

The paradox is that some want to see legislation enabling municipal utilities like NPU and Groton Utilities to expand their coverage area because of their storm response, but part of the strong storm response comes from having a small territory.

"We do very well in a storm response because we have a small and nimble area," Riley said.

Similarly, in response to a question from Osten about moving into other communities, LaRose later said that "if you get large, you have some of the issues of being as quick and as nimble."

Despite Eversource being much larger, both Courtney and Osten expressed that they thought it was fair to make a comparison with NPU's performance.

"To me, we're talking about the same weather event, we're talking about the same state and in some cases even the same county or region," Courtney said. Comparing Norwich to Sprague, Osten added, "When you go 10 miles down the road and it takes an additional five days to get power back, that doesn't make a whole boatload of sense."

e.moser@theday.com

See the original post here:
What went right with Norwich Public Utilities' response to Isaias? - theday.com

ALBANY The Dougherty County Commission is advertising openings for the following board appointments that will be made for current unexpired terms and terms of various lengths. Resumes and/or letters of interest must be received by 5 p.m. on Sept. 9.

JOINT BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS & APPEALS: One appointment. The joint appointment will fill an unexpired three-year term ending Oct. 1, 2022. The board considers appeals from citizens regarding decisions and/or interpretations of the building inspector as it relates to the Southern Standard Building Code. Applicants should have building industry experience. The board meets on an as-needed basis.

AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING, & VENTILATION BOARD: One appointment. The appointment will fill an unexpired one-year term ending Dec. 31. The purpose of this board is to review all matters pertaining to standards for use of air conditioning, heating and ventilation. The board meets on an as-needed basis.

CHEHAW PARK AUTHORITY: One county appointment. The appointment will fill a three-year term ending June 30, 2023. The Chehaw Park Authority is the governing body, created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, for Chehaw Park & Zoo comprising 800 acres of land located in Dougherty and Lee counties. The authority is an institution of purely public charity, dedicated to the promotion of the general public welfare in matters of cultural development, education, pleasure, convenience and recreation of the public at large, and particularly those citizens residing in Lee and Dougherty counties. The authority was created as and shall remain a public beneficence, dedicated to the good of humanity and the general improvement and happiness of society. It is declared and established that the operation, maintenance, and expansion of the park is a proper public purpose and that the authority shall be responsible for operation, maintenance and expansion of the park. The authority meets the third Monday of the month at 6:15 p.m. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and be a resident of Dougherty or Lee county.

ELECTRICAL BOARD: One appointment. The appointment will fill an unexpired one-year term ending Dec. 31. The purpose of this board is to consider all matters related to electrical installations, including alterations, repairs and equipment. The board meets on an as-needed basis. One appointment must be a master electrician, two must be electrical suppliers, one must be a professional engineer and one represents a citizen member.

FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT REVIEW BOARD: One appointment. The appointment will fill an unexpired three-year term ending Dec. 31, 2021. The purpose of the board is to consider variances on structures that are below the required base flood elevation levels and to consider special-use permits for proposed development in the floodway. This board meets on an as-needed basis.

For additional information on appointed boards, commissions and authorities, call the County Clerks Office at (229) 431-2121 extension 0 or email jware@dougherty.ga.us.

Read the original here:
Dougherty government seeks applicants for board appointments | News - The Albany Herald

Has a home theater been your dream for long but you believe you do not have enough space for it? Forget about such excuses! Now, you can either buy a TV lift and install your home theater in a place you want, or you can make your own lift system. The first option might cost pretty much. But if you have the needed money and you have found a system that you like, why not use it?

If you want to save some funds or you prefer something customized, making a DIY TV lift for your interior is the best option. You will need to buy a lift system here, and all the other elements you can make on your own.

We believe that you know already where you want to have your new home theater. If you are in doubt, we can suggest some ideas.

If you are planning to get a fireplace, it is a good idea to check one with a slot for TV. Modern options even have a power outlet for such purposes. Check if the slot size is big enough for your home theater, and the issue is solved. It looks modern and stylish. Though if you have a fireplace and are planning to install the screen in it or behind it, this idea is not the best one. If the fireplace is not made to be used with a TV set, the influence on your TV might be devastating. Drastic changes in temperature and humidity will decrease the item service life and deteriorate the experience in general.

Do you have an old dresser that has to be thrown away but is kept for some reason? You can use it to install your home theater there!

While the idea with a fireplace is clear: everything is already installed there, you might opt for a dresser.

Now, the cabinet for your new home theater is ready. You can move on to the TV lift part.

First, you need to choose a TV lift. You can make it, too, but you need good skills, special tools, and solid knowledge of the technology. If you do not have experience with such things, your TV lift might end up collapsing and destroying your TV screen and all the equipment.

If the TV lift is hidden in the dresser, its design might be not crucial. Though if you want you can choose the nicest one.

Once you are ready with all the preparations, you can fix the items. Attach the TV lift to the back wall of the dresser. If you believe that it is not sturdy enough (in most cases it cannot support the weight of a big screen and the weight of the lift system), consider reinforcing it. You can mount a metal or wooden bar on the back side and fix the application on the bar.

The TV lift comes with special supports for the screen. Mount the screen on the supports and fix it. do it properly otherwise, it might fall and get damaged.

Cabling is one more issue. In your case, you can just leave it hidden in the dresser. Fix them with special cable clips to avoid tangling. If you want, you might hire an electrician to hide them completely, but we believe that indeed, this is not the case when you need it. The main thing is to avoid interfering with the moving screen and tangling.

You can install the cable box anywhere in the dresser. Just make sure it does not interfere with anything.

Finally, you can test the installation. Check whether the screen popups properly and hides smoothly. Once more verify that everything is installed firmly enough. Make the last adjustments if needed. After that, your home theater is ready to be used. Invite your close people and enjoy it!

The rest is here:
Create an Amazing Home Theater with the Help of a DIY TV Lift - edmchicago.com

The BDN is making the most crucial coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact in Maine free for all readers. Click here for all coronavirus stories and here for the free collection. You can join others committed to safeguarding this vital public service by purchasing a subscription or donating directly to the newsroom.

PORTLAND The stakes are growing in a strike against Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works during a global pandemic as company-provided health insurance is running out for 4,300 shipbuilders whove left their jobs.

Striking workers from Machinists Union Local S6 will be responsible for their own insurance effective Wednesday, just days after three workers who carpooled together tested positive for the coronavirus.

At least one of those three workers who tested positive had been on the picket line in Bath, a union spokesman said.

Striking workers said Tuesday they were determined to press on even with the strike as tens of thousands of people remain unemployed in Maine, and several states report surging cases of COVID-19.

The workers are striking over subcontracting, work rules and seniority, while wages and benefits are a secondary concern. The companys final offer called for a three-year contract with pay raises of 3 percent in each year.

The choice is very simple. I had to strike. There was no other option, said Brad Farrell, whos married and has four children, and fears subcontracting and seniority changes could force him out of his job in the tin shop.

Workers overwhelmingly rejected the companys final contract proposal and went on strike June 22. There have been no talks since then. The company had no immediate comment Tuesday.

The last strike, in 2000, lasted 55 days.

Workers are getting prepared for the long haul, looking at other jobs and health care options. Keeping health insurance through the so-called COBRA program can cost up to a couple of thousand dollars a month. Others said they will simply do without health insurance.

Kelley Ammons, a 58-year-old marine electrician, opted to forgo purchasing insurance and filled a blood pressure prescription Tuesday, before the expiration of the companys insurance.

Hopefully thatll get me through until the team can get back to the negotiating table and work out a deal, Ammons said.

Gordon Campbell, a 55-year-old sandblaster, has money set aside, and hes paying more to be on his wifes insurance. I just hope that both sides will get together and try to resolve this, he said.

Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of Virginia-based General Dynamics, provided a good insurance plan for workers because the union negotiated for it, and that underscores the necessity of fighting for a good contract, said union spokesman Tim Suitter.

The strike has big implications not just for the shipbuilder but also for the Navy, which wants warships to be delivered as quickly as possible at a time of growing competition from Russia and China.

Bath Iron Works is one of the Navys five largest shipbuilders and one of only two that make destroyers, the workhorse of the fleet, which are capable of simultaneously battling aircraft, missiles, warships and submarines. Some of them have ballistic missile defense capability.

The shipyard is already about six months behind schedule, partly because of the pandemic, and it will need subcontractors to help get back on schedule, Bath Iron Works President Dirk Lesko has said.

The union has characterized some of the shipyards proposals as an attempt to break the union, while the company contends it needs to streamline operations to lower prices to remain competitive.

The company hired 1,800 workers last year and is hiring another 1,000 this year, so theres no effort to shrink the workforce, the company said. The shipyard employs about 6,800 workers.

Story by David Sharp, The Associated Press

See the rest here:
Striking BIW shipbuilders are losing health coverage in pandemic - Bangor Daily News

Gov. Jay Inslees recent move to name a task force to review racial justice and police reform set the tone for both a special session in August and the regular legislative session in January. Debates among local legislative candidates over taxes, education, transportation and the economy will continue, but we know now what the headliner issues will be.

The recent deaths of Black people at the hands of white police officers has reignited an old but simmering debate as protesters have taken to the streets to demand change with a message of Black Lives Matter.

Some protesters want police departments defunded, while others want reform and changes in policies. As the protesters gain momentum, they have forced new topics for state candidates to debate: police use of force, outside investigations, body cameras, officer training, chokeholds, the militarization of police departments and how police work with communities of color. While generally considered city topics, state legislators can have a big impact on local government through the laws they pass. There will be many debates. Speakers representing different minority groups, police unions and police chiefs will be in high demand and passions will be high.

As union members, police tend to work with other unions and have a link to Democrats. But their usual benefactors tend to be conservative Republicans when it comes to politics. Police officers dont like elected officials bowing to public pressure by changing the laws, which they think makes their jobs harder. Reform will not be a popular topic with them. In contrast, many minority groups believe they have been targets because of the color of their skin. Finding common ground may not be easy.

The debates are long overdue. They can be awkward and make some candidates uncomfortable for fear of alienating one side or the other. Nobody wants to be either soft on crime or a racist.

For District 30 State Representative Position 1, we have two Republicans and two Democrats. The Democrats are Jamila Taylor and Cheryl Hurst. Taylor is an attorney and ran a good race last year for the Federal Way City Council, improving her knowledge base. Taylor supports police and criminal justice reform. She favors reallocating some of the police budgets to fund youth development, job training, housing, health care and education. She says, these investments have been proven to reduce crime and increase healthy resilient communities. Taylor believes the public wants more de-escalation training for police, more mental health funding and a change in criminal liability for use of force.

Hurst is an active community volunteer and first-time candidate . She has received the endorsement of the Federal Way Police Guild. She is opposed to defunding the police department, favors body cameras for police, wants to eliminate chokeholds by officers and supports independent investigations for use of force. She believes the police and people of color can find a way to work together.

The two Republicans in the race are Janis Clark and Martin Moore. Clark supports funding police, but feels officers who are repeat violent offenders should be dismissed. She says body cameras are a good way to evaluate the need for additional training and accountability. She believes most officers are good and police shouldnt be judged by a few bad apples. She was troubled by the rioting, burning and looting that took place as it became a distraction from the message.

Moore is in his second term as a member of the Federal Way City Council. He opposes defunding the police department, favors body cameras, supports training in race and equity, and supports banning chokeholds while letting our police officers maintain control of dangerous situations and remain safe. He should have spoken sooner as the police chief has recently banned chokeholds. Moore wants to form a citizens advisory board to address the needs of minority communities. As a member of the city council, Moore has already been in a position to make change at the local level. Has he?

In District 30 State Representative Position 2, we have appointed Democratic incumbent Jesse Johnson and three Republicans: Jack Walsh, Mark Greene and Chris Dowllar.

Johnson, as the lone incumbent, will have a platform to act on his views at a special session in early August and can introduce legislation at that time. Johnson does not support defunding police departments. He prefers reforms, including mandating community accountability boards for all police agencies including the state patrol, requiring independent criminal investigations of injuries and deaths, along with robust community involvement and the prohibition of chokeholds, with deadly force as only a last resort. He will support officers losing their commission if they have sustained misconduct complaints. Johnson was on the city council previously what changes did he make then?

Walsh is a local businessman who spearheaded last years successful opposition to pot shops in Federal Way. Walsh is opposed to defunding the police department, but supports body cameras and independent investigations for police use of force. He also favors banning chokeholds unless the officers life is in immediate danger.

Greene has run for office before. He supports the need for policing and is opposed to defunding them. He favors reforms, along with accountability for misconduct by police, and would like to see more comprehensive background checks on new hires. He believes training should be longer than it currently is, and de-escalation should be central to training.

Dowllar is a new candidate and is an electrician. He is running because unemployment is 25% and he wants change. He favors independent investigation boards. He wants at least one trash can and one bathroom per town for the homeless and wants to see public workers cross-trained to do more than one job.

The top two from each race will move on to the November general election. With the Democrats controlling both houses and the governors office, history could be made in an area that legislators usually tend to avoid.

Which side of history are you on?

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.

View original post here:
Police reform sets the tone for 2020... - Federal Way Mirror

A National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Report expects that 3.4 million jobs will go unfilled by 2022. According to the study, there will be a shortfall of technical workers, or workers who are post-high school in jobs that require science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) skills, but do not require a four-year degree.

With the changing landscape, and the changing needs of industry, what role do historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions, and community colleges play in their communities?

Over the past two years, the National Science Board Task Force on the Skilled Technical Workforce has identified opportunities and challenges facing students, workers, businesses, and educators. Here, we look at how HBCUs can improve opportunities for skilled technical workers, and how they can help build the future.

When we think of long-term national health, we usually think of things like mental, physical, and emotional health. But what about our economic health? Studies have shown that in terms of long-term health for the United States on a global scale, the nation is losing its leading spot in growth and development in areas of STEM. As our systems become smarter and more intricate, skilled technical workers increase in demand. Our nation now faces a different kind of health crisisa shortage of skilled technical workers to maintain these intricate systems in the years to come.

For decades, the general societal messaging surrounding the education-to-workforce pipeline has been hyper-focused on getting students into college and pursuing four-year degrees and careers. This type of environment has led to lower success rates, especially for minority students.

These highly skilled job requirements lead to competitive salaries and little-to-no debt in the long-term future across several industries including construction, gas, and healthcare. Even with these perks, we are still seeing a disproportionately low number of women and minorities in these jobs compared to the overall workforce of our country.

Several factors have led to the decline of the skilled technical workforce.

Systemic Obstacles That Need to Change

1. The high school to college pipeline: High schools are typically funded by state boards of education. This funding is allocated based on the number of college-bound students. However, community colleges are not considered colleges by the current formula. This is discriminatory against two-year institutions. On a national scale, 30 percent of high school students who go to a four-year university drop out.2. Student attention and access to resources: The typical ratio of students to counselors in public high schools is 400 to 1, leaving room for error.3. Stigma: The conversation around two-year degrees and job certifications requires a shift. Students, especially African Americans and minorities, need to see successful technical workers thriving in their industry and understand the opportunities for job security and higher-paying salaries to mitigate the ongoing plague of imposter syndrome and income inequality.

The lack of data and information regarding the certifications needed for these jobs and the salaries that are available results in lower turnout.

The career pipelines are the gateway for economic mobility for people of color, said Leon Caldwell, Ph.D. What is unfortunate is that there is no career theory specifically for the African-American experience in the workforce.

How do we overcome this incredible shortfall as a society to sustain these smart systems over the course of the century and beyond? It starts with access to information and resources and economic mobility strategies. Todays workforce development initiatives do not focus on the work skills that will fuel the next century of workers.

The traditional view of todays electrician has expanded. Today, electricians require higher-level skills including the ability to code and create circuit designs. These skills are not just valuable to those looking to work with the major companies and organizations like Boeing or NASA, but to those who can carry these skills into the next generation of business owners and change makers.

Shifting the Perspective of the Skilled Technical Workforce

The National Science Board recommends the following shifts to help increase access to information and resources for students to pursue certifications and job opportunities in STEM, in addition to traditional four-year degrees.

Change the messaging: Even though vocational schools developed a false reputation as a less suitable form of education, many of todays employers are looking for skills and certifications above degrees. Messaging should remove the stigma from technical work and highlight the high demand and higher wages available to skilled workers in the future. Focus on the data: There is not enough information available to students and veterans on the opportunities through skilled work and even two-year degrees. While the demand for these workers increases, the ability to outline the specifications of what is required and what their salary trajectory could be with those skill sets needs to become readily available for the next generation of workers to make better-informed career decisions. The innovation quotient and saving the makers space: As children, we innately become enamored with tinkering and making things from other things. It is in our nature to experiment and invent, and that has been the backbone of our evolution as a global society. The educational system today has placed less value on the creative work and skill sets that were once important to building our future. Creative spaces and maker spaces serve as an on-ramp to STEM careers and skill sets that will prove to be valuable in the future workforce.

The next generation of women and minorities will need to see these changes implemented to be able to access these underutilized career opportunities. HBCUs are the anchors of our communities and hold part of the responsibility to continue investing in this talent and opening doors to the future of the skilled technical workforce. Other major contributors include employers and companies that will be increasingly seeking this talent as technologies advance and opportunities grow. Through education, access to information, and clear messaging, we can support the future workforce in STEM.

Excerpt from:
The Skilled Technical Workforce: Historically Black Colleges and Universities and The Future - BlackEngineer.com