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<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; Luzerne County is seeing an upward growth in wages due to a diminishing pool of unemployed people, making the competition for those workers more intense.</p><p>That was part of the message delivered by Teri Ooms, executive director at The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development at Wilkes University.</p><p>Ooms was the keynote speaker at Friday&#8217;s Legislative Information Session at Luzerne County Community College.</p><p>With about 65 in attendance, including State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke, State Representatives Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and Mike Carroll, D-Avoca. Also attending was Elizabeth Bolden from the PA Commission for Community Colleges.</p><p>The annual legislative breakfast at LCCC provides the opportunity for college officials to interact with and exchange ideas and information with legislators and/or their representatives and talk about challenges, successes, and information on programs that will be of service to the community, LCCC students, and the constituents the legislators serve.</p><p>Ooms said the average household income in Luzerne County is just over $43,000 per year. However, she said one-third of the county&#8217;s population earns less than 435,000 per year.</p><p>&#8220;We are lagging behind, but the gap is shrinking,&#8221; Ooms said.</p><p>Ooms said health care remains the highest area for employment in the county, with retail second followed by transportation and warehousing.</p><p>She said the fastest growing areas for employment are health care, transportation/manufacturing and construction.</p><p>Ooms said the key to getting a better-paying job is education. She said people who ear two-year, four-year and graduate degrees will get the higher paying jobs.</p><p>A look at local job postings revealed that retail is the number one area in need, followed by registered nursing, warehousing, food preparation and truck drivers.</p><p>&#8220;As older workers retire, there will be an increase in competition for younger people entering the workforce,&#8221; Ooms said.</p><p>She said businesses must find a way to attract younger people to work for them.</p><p>Ooms noted that there are barriers facing people wanting to enter the workforce: drug/alcohol abuse, physical disability, lack of transportation, child care affordability/availability, behavioral/mental health.</p><p>&#8220;If we can overcome these barriers, there are incredible opportunities ahead of us,&#8221; Ooms said.</p><p>Thomas Leary, LCCC president, said the college strives to offer programs for students that prepare them for today&#8217;s job market. He said LCCC has 6,300 credit students enrolled and more than 3,000 non-credit students.</p><p>&#8220;Here at LCCC, we offer a path to professional achievement,&#8221; Leary said. &#8220;And 90 percent of our graduates remain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania to work and contribute to our quality of life.&#8221;</p><p>Leary took the opportunity to promote the college, saying, &#8220;We are LCCC proud.&#8221; Leary noted that LCCC was named the Best Community College in Pennsylvania by WalletHub. Data used to create this ranking were collected from the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. News, U.S. Department of Education, Council for Community and Economic Research, and College Measures.</p><p>Some 17 metrics grouped under three key dimensions were used &#8212; cost and financing, educational outcomes, and career opportunities. Each community college&#8217;s weighted average were reviewed leading to LCCC topping the list. Of particular note, LCCC ranked in the top 17 percent, or 121 out of 715 in the educational outcomes category. </p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_LCCC-President-Leary.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Leary </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_LCCC-President-Leary.jpg</photo0><caption0>Leary </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_Teri-Ooms.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Ooms </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/web1_Teri-Ooms.jpg</photo1><caption1>Ooms </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Ooms: Luzerne County seeing upward growth in wages