Wilkes-barre Politics 
Leighton Says He's Too Busy For Chair 
W-b City Councilman Doesn't Want To Return As The Council Chairman. Mike
Mcginley Could Get The Job.

Albert Manzi

By PAMELA C. TURFA pamt@leader.net
 Sunday, January 05, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1D 





More jobs for teachers, computer programmers, health-care workers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fewer jobs for textile and mining workers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; More professional specialty jobs - accountants, tax preparers, budget
analysts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Fewer jobs in manufacturing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Those are the state's projections over the next five years for Luzerne and
Schuylkill counties, which are expected to see a combined 8.3 percent growth
in all jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By 2008, the two-county region is expected to employ 226,540 workers - up
from 209,110 in 1998, the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis
reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The local numbers went into a statewide report, Pennsylvania Workforce
2008, that examined population, labor force, industrial growth and
occupational growth trends. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The prediction: A continued gradual shift away from manufacturing and into
professional, business and service jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Retraining older workers key &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Statewide, the labor force is becoming larger, older and increasingly
diverse, the center, a division of the state Department of Labor and Industry,
reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 During the next five years, women will account for almost half of available
workers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Minorities will account for 14 percent or more. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Baby Boomers will move into their 50s and 60s, and some will reach
retirement age by 2008. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, the number of workers ages 25-39 will shrink, reflecting a lower
birth rate from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although, the ``Echo Generation'' (babies of Baby Boomers) will reach
working age, there won't be enough of those younger workers to meet the
demands of employers that traditionally have grown by adding younger workers,
the center predicts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The report draws three major conclusions about the importance of older
workers to a state economy increasingly dependent on technology: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Pennsylvania's older, more stable labor force could face problems
adapting to these technological developments.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The retraining of both older and dislocated workers in these emerging
technologies will become critical to the state's future economic success.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To satisfy the demands of employers, ``it will, therefore, become
increasingly important to keep Pennsylvania's older residents actively
involved in the labor force, at least part time.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Statewide, a half-million new jobs will be created between 1998 and 2008. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The largest number are expected to be professional, paraprofessional and
technical jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Service occupations are expected to have the second-largest number of
annual job openings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among goods-producing industries, there will be more jobs for construction
workers and fewer manufacturing jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Teacher jobs to rise 25 percent &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Back to those teacher openings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In Luzerne and Schuylkill counties, employment of teachers, librarians and
counselors is expected to increase 25.6 percent from 9,580 in 1998 to 12,030
in 2008. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That includes college and university faculty jobs (up 38.8 percent to
1,180), public and private school teachers and instructor jobs (up 24.1
percent to 9,330) and librarian, archivist and curator jobs (up 25.6 percent
to 1,520). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although not all of the increases are public school jobs, the largest
growth is in elementary, secondary and special education positions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's a trend King's College, one of the region's primary teacher-training
programs, is seeing. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``We've seen a very significant growth in our teacher education program,''
said Dr. Joan Blewitt, director, Office of Career Planning and Placement at
King's College. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 King's has, in fact, been gearing up for a growth in teacher jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Teacher training is now one of the largest programs King's offers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By 2008, the state predicts an average of 448 teacher jobs will be open
each year. More than half of those - 245 - will be new jobs because of growth.
Another 203 will be open because someone has retired or resigned. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Despite the difficulties some teacher applicants have had finding positions
locally, King's is now having good placement of its graduates in school
districts locally and in the surrounding areas, including the Poconos and
Allentown, Blewitt said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 School districts already are scrambling to find teachers in some specialty
subjects - particularly math, science and foreign languages. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That scramble is expected to intensify as a wave of older teachers reaches
retirement age. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Blewitt said her office also sees job growth in health care, accounting,
general business and government positions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Graduates of the college's physician assistant program are in demand, as
are its accounting graduates. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although government jobs tend to pay less than similar positions in the
private sector, they are becoming more attractive to students for their
stability, Blewitt said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She also expects an increase in the number of students who go to graduate
school for more training. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some will choose graduate school because the job market is tight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 However, some fields are become more complex, and students find they need
additional training to do what they want. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``Many of those areas you need a master's degree to do what you intend to
do,'' she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pamela C. Turfa, a staff writer, may be reached at 829-7177. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Manufacturing Job Slide Expected To Continue Spots In Local Business, Professional, Service Fields To Rise Significantly By 2008, Report Says