http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013308119971
Published: August 11, 2013 12:01 AM EST
Updated: August 9, 2013 7:30 AM EST
Updated: August 9, 2013 7:30 AM EST
Guest Voice of Terry Smith: Innovate to grow jobs in
Erie
Erie
Times-News
By TERRY SMITH
Contributing writer
Contributing writer
Northwestern Pennsylvania allows one
of its greatest resources to slip through its fingers annually on a predictable
cycle.
Each December and May, several
thousand bright, well-educated adults graduate from the region's colleges and
universities. Most of them leave the area because too few attractive jobs exist
that would utilize their newly gained knowledge and appetites for achievement.
Many of those who remain wind up
taking jobs that require less -- and reward less -- than the fruitful roles for
which their education has prepared them.
This demand gap, a corollary to the
much-discussed skills gap, was clear in the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland's
recent analysis of education and employment in the state and western
Pennsylvania. Among the conclusions, the report projected:
- An increase in demand for workers
in jobs requiring long-term training.
- A shift of workers with higher
educational levels into lower-skilled jobs.
The first reflects the skills gap;
the second, the demand gap. Considerable attention is being paid locally to
addressing the skills gap. However, focusing solely on the needs of our current
employers, even if successful, is an incomplete strategy for economic
development. The region must also promote innovation that yields products and
builds companies that will provide our next great pool of quality jobs.
The nearly 20,000 students enrolled
in higher education in Erie and Crawford counties are an enormous asset for the
region. They are the foundation upon which an innovation-rich regional economy
can be built.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,
Allegheny College, Mercyhurst University, Gannon University and Penn State
Behrend all offer programs that would lend themselves to the development of
new, job-creating businesses. For example, we at Edinboro University know that
art, especially our nationally recognized animation program, offers unique
opportunities to pair innovative talent with the region's low cost of living to
create viable new enterprises.
Former students of Edinboro's art
program already have created well-known area businesses, such as Campbell
Pottery, Relish beach glass jewelry, MoreFrames Animation and Flexcut Tool Co.,
and more success stories are possible. Over the past decade, the university
also has been a catalyst in bringing together private and public funding to
create the Startup Incubator, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to supporting
the growth of arts-based businesses.
In just two years since its grand
opening, the Startup Incubator has helped numerous artists start businesses.
Successful products have earned their creators money and supported jobs in
plastic molding and other industries. One of them, a pour cap for Mason jars
created by Karen Rzepecki, was among the top sellers of the past Christmas
season on Amazon.com, according to a congratulatory message from the online
retailer.
I'm especially excited about the
potential for animation to create well-paying jobs. Away from high-cost,
high-pressure living on the East and West coasts but closely connected through
digital communication, local animation firms could subcontract with film,
television and commercial studios.
I know that similar potential exists
for graduates at the other colleges and universities in our region. A modern
economy thrives upon innovation, and the most valuable forms of innovation are
knowledge-based. Northwestern Pennsylvania has a disproportionately large
higher education community. What is missing is an equal-sized determination to
put this resource into action.
I have listened carefully to the
dialogue about the region's economy. I agree that we need a skilled workforce
to sustain our region's resilient manufacturing industry. And yes, we should
capitalize on our geographical advantage by encouraging businesses in the areas
of logistics and recreation. But the greatest return on investment is
knowledge-based innovation.
Our higher-education community
provides an ample supply of knowledge. If we can provide a commensurate degree
of support to its emerging business ideas, our region will turn the corner from
mere survival to prosperity.
TERRY SMITH, Ph.D., Dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvanian, is
retiring after 16 years with the university.
Published: September 15, 2013 12:01 AM EST
Updated: September 13, 2013 12:24 PM EST
Updated: September 13, 2013 12:24 PM EST
Guest Voices: How to spark entrepreneurship in Erie
Erie
Times-News
By BETH ZIMMER
and BRIAN SCOTT
Contributing writers
and BRIAN SCOTT
Contributing writers
Net job growth occurs in the U.S.
economy only through startup firms. So what is a "startup firm"?
A company that is in the first
stages of its operations. They are initially bankrolled by their risk-taking,
entrepreneurial founders as they attempt to capitalize on developing a product
or service for which they believe there is a demand.
There are two important concepts to
consider for northwestern Pennsylvania's ability to prosper into the future
that hold more relevance than much else.
The first is the fact that net job
growth occurs only through startups. U.S. Census Bureau data reveals that, both
on average and for all but seven years between 1977 and 2005, existing firms
are net job destroyers, losing 1 million jobs net combined per year.
By contrast, in their first year,
new firms add an average of 3 million jobs.
The second concept is even more
sobering. Our "startup sector" or "entrepreneurial
ecosystem" is definitely in need of serious upgrades. According to the
2012 "Generation Innovation" white paper and confirmed in the
Destination Erie data, northwestern Pennsylvania is far behind the rest of the
nation, as well as our own state, when it comes to the statistics that are used
to gauge the health of a regional economy.
So what is the solution? The
Innovation Collaborative is an initiative that is being led by the Technology
Council of Northwest PA, known as the Tech Council. We have begun the work that
is necessary to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem here.
Northwestern Pennsylvania is
privileged to have some excellent tools for entrepreneurs in place. Our
universities provide entrepreneurship courses.
Organizations such as Small Business
Development Centers, incubators, economic development agencies, funders like
Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Bridgeway Capital and BlueTree Allied Angels,
and other resources such as Athena PowerLink and Score all provide
entrepreneurial support.
So with all of this, why do we still
lag behind the rest of Pennsylvania and the U. S.?
This is the main question that the
Innovation Collaborative is working to answer and eliminate. One of the reasons
may be the fact that our culture doesn't perceive startups and their founders
as the rock stars (wealth and job creators) that they really are. Therefore,
the support and celebration of these activities is lacking in our region.
Another reason may be that, though
the support assets that are in place work very hard, some important necessities
are missing. Maybe most importantly, not enough is being done to leverage the
collective value of all of the good work that is being done.
We have found that other regions
across the country have come before us. Close to home, check out Pittsburgh's
humming startup community. Northeastern Ohio is another great example. Our
neighbors in western New York are about two years into their solution. Farther
from home, Boulder, Colo., and Austin, Texas, have answered their challenges.
Of course, Silicon Valley figured it all out a long time ago.
The IC team has been benchmarking
these areas and talking to organizations across the U.S. that "coach"
other regions about this challenge.
We are engaging with one of these
coaches to start by clearly identifying the real strengths that currently exist
within the startup sector here. With that, we'll also identify what these
assets need to be even more effective. Concurrently, we will be learning what
gaps exist and need to be filled. Our work will be prioritized based on the
best possible impacts to our regional economy, through supporting our
high-growth potential startups and their founders.
It is important to note that the
Innovation Collaborative's entrepreneurial spirit takes this vision and plan
well beyond studies. The team has begun to attract angel capital and to connect
these angel groups with local startups. We are also connecting founders with
other resources, including key mentors and potential customers from within and
outside of the region. The Innovation Collaborative is a results-oriented group
that is making a difference now.
Currently, the IC is made up of
volunteers including private and nonprofit sector leaders, professors,
university leaders, intellectual property and business attorneys,
entrepreneurs, angel investors, government and economic development
representatives, and philanthropists. Additional financial and human capital
supports are needed. If you or someone you know is able to help in this
important work, please contact us at your earliest convenience.
When the region is humming with
high-growth startups, words like "brain drain" and "high
unemployment" will be replaced with "brain gain" and
"startups." Northwestern Pennsylvania's increase in net new jobs will
be coming from thriving companies that are less than 5 years old.
BETH ZIMMER and BRIAN SCOTT are
leading the Technology Council of Northwest PA's Innovation Collaborative.
Zimmer is interim director of the Tech Council and has worked as an executive
recruiter. Scott, an entrepreneur, is a former mergers and acquisitions
executive. They can be reached on LinkedIn, Twitter or by calling 459-6262.
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013309159965
Published: September 15, 2013 12:01 AM EST
Updated: September 13, 2013 2:30 PM EST
Updated: September 13, 2013 2:30 PM EST
Our View: How to grow Erie jobs
Erie Times-News
Editorial
How do we grow jobs in Erie and lay
the foundation for a prosperous future for our region?
One way is to celebrate and share
the stories of today's successful businesses. That's the idea behind the second
annual Commitment to Erie awards, a recognition program that the Erie
Times-News began in 2012.
On Wednesday night at the Ambassador
Center, two companies will receive our overall award: one with 50 or fewer
employees and one with more than 50 employees. The finalists in the first group
are Brewerie at Union Station, Lincoln Recycling, and Duskas-Martin Funeral
Home and Crematory. The finalists in the second group are Lord Corp., Scott
Enterprises Inc. and FMC Technologies.
Awards are also given for workplace
of the year community service, new business of the year and nonprofit of the
year. E.E. Austin & Son, Nick Scott Jr. of Scott Enterprises Inc., and
Industrial Sales & Manufacturing Inc. are finalists for the Legacy Award, a
new honor to recognize an individual, company or organization that has improved
the region's economy and helped to transform the Erie community.
Five judges reviewed nearly 100
nominees to select 23 Commitment to Erie finalists. The large number of entries
is a good sign for our region, where we are still struggling to regain our
economic footing after the recession. Judges evaluated patterns of innovation
and service to help businesses succeed into the future.
Even as we honor the successful
employers of today, local leaders are also working hard to identify where the
success stories of the future will develop. A common theme is that Erie needs
to nurture entrepreneurs and help them secure the tools and investment they
need to grow.
Beth Zimmer and Brian Scott help to
spark that conversation in today's Guest Voice column. They amplify a theme
that Terry Smith sounded in his Aug. 11 Guest Voice column. Now retired as dean
of the College of Arts and Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania,
Smith identified the challenges and opportunities our region faces. "A
modern economy thrives upon innovation, and the most valuable forms of
innovation are knowledge-based. Northwestern Pennsylvania has a
disproportionately large higher education community. What is missing is an
equal-sized determination to put this resource into action," he wrote.
Smith cited the success of the
Startup Incubator, which helps artists to make and market their products. The
InnovationErie Design Competition has been described as Erie's idea Olympics,
and the winner of the Applied Media Arts track receives a Startup membership.
Four finalists and a grand prize winner will be announced later this month.
Today is the last day for the public to vote on Best in Show from 12
semifinalists at the Erie Art Museum.
The Commitment to Erie awards
program is part of a broad movement to recognize and support innovation and
entrepreneurship in Erie. Let's keep the conversation flowing and the momentum
going.
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