LVEDC Director of Talent Supply Karianne Gelinas discussing the talent supply initiative during an LVEDC Education and Talent Supply Council meeting last month.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) is kicking off its talent supply study, which will identify talent supply and demand issues across the Lehigh Valley and create a strategy that results in a broader, ongoing understanding of the workforce.

Starting next week, telephone surveys will be conducted with businesses within targeted industry clusters, and interviews will begin with stakeholders, including education and training institutions, workforce development organizations, and sector/professional associations.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into recruiting and retaining employers by marketing the Lehigh Valley’s economic assets,” said LVEDC President & CEO Don Cunningham. “To continue the success we’ve had, it is imperative we know our region better than other regions know themselves, and that begins with understanding the challenges of our talent supply.”

LVEDC is seeking input from regional businesses for this initiative. To learn more about the study or have your company considered for participation in an interview or survey, contact LVEDC Director of Talent Supply Karianne Gelinas at kgelinas@lehighvalley.org or (610) 266-2236.

The Toronto-based MDB Insight has been commissioned to lead the talent supply study. Over the next few months, LVEDC and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board (LVWDB) will work with MDB Insight on consultation activities.

In addition to interviews and telephone surveys, these activities will include sector roundtables with businesses from the targeted industry clusters and other stakeholders, Gelinas said.

The targeted industry clusters include bio and life sciences; health care; transportation, warehousing, and logistics; manufacturing (advanced and food & beverage); finance and insurance; and professional office and business services, according to MDB Insight.

The talent supply initiative was discussed during last month’s meeting of the LVEDC Education and Talent Supply Council. It is a first-of-its-kind program in Pennsylvania that is being evaluated for applicability in other communities across the state.