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WILKES-BARRE &mdash; Teri Ooms, Executive Director of The Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development at Wilkes University says progress and prosperity are fueled by strategic collaboration grounded in comprehensive, data-driven insights.
				&ldquo;Since June 2020, The Institute was given an incredible opportunity to showcase its research with The Times Leader,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Over the course of the past eight months, articles appeared summarizing regional indicators, research from the volunteer task force network, COVID research, and other economic and sponsored research.&rdquo;
				Ooms said these studies explored economic competitiveness (the workforce), the housing divide, child abuse and neglect, the impact of redlining, and food access.
				Furthermore, various studies on transportation included research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
				The Institute also published an entire series &mdash; Institute Insights on COVID 19 &mdash; with cutting-edge data from regional businesses, non-profits, social services, and health care to try and shed light on challenges and opportunities.
				&ldquo;The volunteer task forces and the advisory board help guide the community-based research and assist in its deployment to ensure that the work reaches the hands of the community leaders who need the information,&rdquo; said Dr. Greg Cant, Institute Chairman and Wilkes University President & CEO. &ldquo;The board&rsquo;s willingness to become more engaged in advocating for change, helping to foster and participate in collaborative efforts all to improve Northeastern PA, will inevitably position it to be more economically sustainable and competitive on a national scale.&rdquo;
				The Indicators report itself has been published annually since 2006. The report tracks data on 125 regional metrics trended over time.
				Pre-COVID, Ooms said there were many positive economic trends to be excited about relative to business growth and opportunities. Regional tourism was generating incredible economic impact. Post-secondary outcomes were improving.
				There were still challenges, however &mdash; an increasing wealth gap, more individuals forced into poverty, an aging population in need of improved housing and other supports to age in place, unsustainable costs due to local government operation and an unrealistic tax structure, unsustainable public pensions, and other high costs. Challenges in K-12 were also noted.
				&ldquo;The Institute presented Lackawanna and Luzerne County data separately so organizations could use the data to inform their work, but also to show the common patterns and trends between the counties,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Surrounding county data was presented when it was apparent there were regional influences. This is extremely important, because real change, real improvements have to occur regionally &mdash; there has to be collaboration and partnership to make a sustained improvement.&ldquo;
				Regionalism
				Ooms went on to say that The Institute espouses that there is a regional economy at play. Counties are economically inter-dependent on each other. The business sector is regional &mdash; pulling employees and goods and services from multiple counties. They operate (actually ignore) political and geographic boundaries. Therefore, it makes sense to plan and act as a collective region.
				&ldquo;I would be surprised to find any one business or person who lived, worked, and bought all their goods and services within one jurisdiction,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;We need to stop acting as though we are composed of little islands. There is a need to stop talking about being regional, or being a regional player and start acting like one. Personal agendas or organizational glory are short-lived and don&rsquo;t offer impactful solutions. Yet, we continue to see these harmful dynamics.&rdquo;
				Ooms said regionalism is a concept that has eluded many stakeholders in Northeastern Pennsylvania, despite the fact that regional solutions work. At a recent meeting of The Institute&rsquo;s advisory board, members discussed how the past 30 years have brought a number of initiatives to promote regionalism. For some reason, however, organizations and individuals do not follow through &mdash; they simply continue to work in silos.
				One of The Institute&rsquo;s board members reflected on this at a recent meeting. Charlie Kasko, Chair of The Institute&rsquo;s Housing Task Force, said: &ldquo;We have been talking about being a region for 30 years, we need to stop the talk and just make it happen.&rdquo;
				Similar conclusions
				The Institute&rsquo;s studies and reports draw similar conclusions about the area &#8211; specifically, that there are a number of economic concerns under-pinning many current challenges. The research points to equity issues, not only in terms of racial and ethnic inequities, but also to gender and income inequities. Lack of a solid economic foundation for individuals and families affect entire communities &mdash; including those not economically compromised.
				Ooms said the region has higher than average poverty levels, relatively lower higher education attainment, marginal physical and mental health, struggling municipal governments, and an overburdened social services sector.
				People living in poverty, or on the verge of poverty &mdash; nearly one third of the region&rsquo;s households &mdash; have to focus their efforts on choosing food over medicine, or keeping a roof over their heads even if they cannot afford heating fuel.
				When individuals are faced with these kinds of choices, Ooms said they are not necessarily the most productive workers, or perhaps the most physically healthy or mentally strong. Children in these households may not be the best students. Children are aware of parents&rsquo; stress and may also experience food insecurity or other issues that preclude them from being their best selves. The &ldquo;Social Determinants of Health&rdquo; support all these conclusions, Ooms said.
				Improvement needed
				Ooms said local governments are squeezed thin due to low tax revenue and increased demand for public services, including increased policing to address crime that occurs as a result of poverty.
				&ldquo;It therefore seems that efforts to improve the standard of living for those living in poverty will ripple through the economy and community to improve other areas,&rdquo; Ooms said.
				Ideally, Ooms said economic mobility is facilitated by employment in jobs that provide family-sustaining wages. Some would indicate a need to increase the minimum wage, and although that would certainly help, Ooms said there are a number of other issues impeding sufficient employment.
				Challenges pertain to childcare, transportation, elder care, lack of consistent housing, physical and mental health issues, and even education and training awareness.
				&ldquo;These issues highlight the importance of increased collaboration and cooperation that address the needs of the whole person and family,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;This requires a regional effort in conjunction with data sharing.&rdquo;
				Workforce development
				Building upon two of The Institute&rsquo;s priorities &mdash; equity and regionalism &mdash; Ooms said it is critical to add workforce as a third theme or priority.
				&ldquo;Workforce development is imperative,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Regional businesses are challenged with finding the trained and skilled workers they need as well. With a shrinking younger population, there are not even enough people to replace the rapidly retiring baby boomers. The replacement demand is unavoidable at all education and skill levels, from doctors to tradesmen.&rdquo;
				This is a national issue, which means Northeastern Pennsylvania is completing for workers with communities and regions around the country. Retaining the current workers and attracting new ones are major elements of supporting the area&rsquo;s businesses.
				&ldquo;We are rich in higher education resources,&rdquo; Ooms said. &ldquo;Our schools offer the programs and degrees/certificates or credentialing needed in most current, open job opportunities. With these assets in place, the region will be successful.&rdquo;
				Barriers exist
				Ooms said there are also barriers to employment that existed prior to the onset of COVID-19, but have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
				Affordable, high-quality child care is limited regionally. There is only one 24/7 option, affecting people who would otherwise work evenings, weekends, and overnight shifts.
				Many residents do not have vehicles, and a significant number of those who do have vehicles cannot afford repairs and other operating costs. As such, other means of transportation are required.
				Public transportation has limited evening and weekend services, and some routes do not reach employment centers (which makes the last mile or so of a commute particularly challenging).
				Employers, on their own or in groups, can address these barriers in order to attract and retain employees.
				Also, the advent of COVID-19 has fostered employee fear among the workplace, due to personal high-risk conditions or those of family members. In some occupations, work-from-home jobs could be long-term solutions that open the candidate pool.
				Opportunities out there
				Ooms said the region offers a diverse combination of business and industry, with a number of job opportunities for residents. She said it is critical to ensure that children, their parents, and college age students are aware of these opportunities.
				Working collaboratively on these matters, while reducing/eliminating inequities, will foster a strong quality of life and standard of living for all.
				Institute Chairman, Dr. Greg Cant, President of Wilkes University concluded that, &ldquo;The Institute Advisory Board is committed to using their collective influence to encourage and participate in regional collaborative strategies and solutions that improve northeastern PA.&rdquo;

The Institute 8-month series concludes, summarizing regional indicators