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Gov. Markell touts workforce building efforts in weekly message

Delaware Public Media

Gov. Jack Markell sees this week’s announcement that JPMorgan Chase plans to bring 1,800 jobs to Delaware as a sign the state can compete in the global economy.

In his weekly message, Markell argues a number of state initiatives to create a workforce attractive to potential employees are paying off.

"In a global economy, companies like JP Morgan have more choices than ever of where to locate and expand, and their choice of Delaware affirms that we have embraced the new economy," said Markell.  "We’ve done so first and foremost by collaborating with our private sector to build a pipeline of talent for our workforce and create opportunities for Delawareans to acquire valuable skills."

Markell says those efforts are specifically evident in the state’s TechHire initiative – which offers quick, intense IT training for jobs at local financial companies -  and the Pathways to Prosperity program –which gives high school students a chance to earn college credits and field experience in engineering and computer science.

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Full text of Gov. Markell's weekly message:

This past week, I joined JP Morgan Chase executives to celebrate the company’s commitment to hire 1,800 people by 2019, while investing more than $150 million in our economy through construction projects.

This employment increase would represent our largest single company job expansion since the 1990’s and help Delaware set a record for financial sector jobs. All of this means a great deal to our state—for the people who will have opportunities to work for a cutting-edge company—for the construction workers who will build the space for the company to expand—and for all of their families.

But this expansion represents far more than employment records. In a global economy, companies like JP Morgan have more choices than ever of where to locate and expand, and their choice of Delaware affirms that we have embraced the new economy. We’ve done so first and foremost by collaborating with our private sector to build a pipeline of talent for our workforce and create opportunities for Delawareans to acquire valuable skills. Our TechHire initiative involves intense short-term IT training that leads directly to job opportunities at financial companies, whose demand for technology workers rivals that of Silicon Valley’s biggest firms. Programs like Pathways to Prosperity give high schoolers a head start on earning a degree and gaining workplace experience in fields like engineering, manufacturing, and computer science.

And there’s much more, from bringing the business community into our schools to helping workers build a strong resume that is matched with employer needs. We have built on our well-earned reputation as a business-friendly state that is easy to work with by recognizing the workforce demands of today’s innovative companies. By continuing to meet the evolving needs of employers, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

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