Message from the President

BY MICHAEL J. QUARANTA

WORKFORCE ISSUES will remain front and center at the State Chamber in 2024, just as they have since 2018. Employers may be stuck in a curious position that includes a high rate of retirement as the Baby Boomer generation reaches their golden years, and every state wrestles with declining student populations. We know that almost 10,000 Americans become retirement eligible every day, and that’s a trend that will not abate for another four or five years. On the other end of the spectrum, Delaware has 11,000 high school seniors statewide this year, and that number declines here and in almost every state starting in 2025.

Many thought the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated retirements, but according to the U.S. Census, the net effects were minimal. While some people with health issues decided to leave the workforce earlier than planned, others saw their plans and incomes disrupted and decided to work an extra year or two to meet their financial goals. The Census shared, “adults 62-65 years old reported the most changes, with 4.6% saying they had retired early and 2.9% saying they had delayed or planned to delay their retirement.”

At the same time, technology continues its impact on the workforce and workplace. Automating time-consuming and repetitive tasks increases workflow productivity and eliminates lost time from inefficiencies.

There is a lot to digest in all of this. However, one thing is clear to many: a way for our state to positively differentiate itself from others is to connect more workforce dots and create a system—or systems—and fewer stand-alone islands of training. To that end, we are working with a broad group of stakeholders to host what we hope will be a dynamic and lively conversation about our workforce this spring.

Our Superstars in Education and Training program has evolved and continues to do so. The program recognizes schools and organizations that are doing incredible things to prepare traditional students and adults for the jobs employers are clamoring to fill. We’ll connect the Superstars awards reception with the Pathways Conference this year. As you probably know, Delaware leads the nation in the percentage of students enrolled in Pathways programs. These career and technical programs give many students their “first look” at what a career field may look like in healthcare, building trades, information technology, and so much more.

It is our hope that this workforce and education summit does many things. Among them, we want to provide a lens for businesses that spans the fields of study young adults are endeavoring upon, and adults are pursuing as they refine or redefine their job skills. Together, a system that makes this more seamless and understandable for entrepreneurs, business strategists, and hiring managers will be in everyone’s best interests.