Gov. Josh Shapiro Signs Executive Order To Expand Public Service Career Opportunities

4 months ago

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) delivered remarks at the Commonwealth Job Fair and signed an executive order to expand career opportunities in Public Service.

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Transcript

00:00 (The executive order is signed.)

00:07 Well, good morning, everyone.

00:09 (Applause.)

00:11 It is great to have you all here today, and it's wonderful to be back at the Farm Show.

00:16 And I'm excited to be here today for the first-ever Commonwealth-wide job fair right here at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg

00:26 to make a really important announcement this morning.

00:30 Before I begin, I want to thank and recognize the members of my team who are here today who make so much of this work possible.

00:40 Secretary Neil Weaver, who joins us here today from the Office of Administration, and our entire OA recruitment team.

00:49 I want to thank Secretary Akbar Hussain, our Secretary of Policy and Planning.

00:55 Our Deputy Chief of Staff, Joe Lee.

00:58 Research Director, Lisa Swanson.

01:01 Assistant Deputy Policy Secretaries, Katie Merritt and Miguel Ruiz.

01:08 And, of course, I want to thank the executive directors of our advisory commissions.

01:13 Man, you all have just such a fun job every day.

01:16 You're wonderful.

01:18 Olga and Razine, Ashley and Ruby, they do amazing work day in and day out.

01:23 These are leaders in my administration alongside great labor leaders, and we're joined by two of them here today.

01:30 Mike from AFSCME, who you'll hear from in a moment, along with Steve from SEIU.

01:37 They work every day, collectively, with all of us, to make the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a competitive employer

01:45 with great benefits, meaningful work, and, of course, with amazing employees.

01:52 I'm proud every day to serve as a colleague to 80,000 people who work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

02:01 They go to work every day to strengthen our communities.

02:05 And I've seen their commitment to public service with my own eyes as I have visited them in their workplaces,

02:12 visited them in their state parks, seen them walking down the street.

02:16 I'm always struck by their smarts and their intellect, their commitment to the important work that we do every day.

02:24 And I'm particularly struck by the pride that they take in the work they do every day.

02:29 It wasn't too long ago where I was at the Department of Health where they were excited to tell me

02:34 how they got rid of the backlog of birth certificates that had been six months long.

02:40 I'm proud to meet those DGS mechanics and the PennDOT engineers who maintain our Commonwealth's vehicles and roadways

02:49 and make sure that our bridges and roads are safe to drive over.

02:53 I've met the veterinarians and the epidemiologists who track infectious diseases

02:58 and keep our families and our flocks safe and free from disease.

03:04 Countless public servants have access to the benefits and the supports they deserve as taxpayers and residents

03:11 to get the support that they need.

03:14 Look, I believe, and I know you all believe, that public service is a noble profession.

03:20 We have some of the finest public servants in the nation working for us right here in the Commonwealth.

03:27 But I'm also very mindful that we, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as an employer,

03:32 that we're competing with the private sector and we're competing with other employers in order--

03:38 and we are trying to attract and retain the best possible workforce.

03:43 Right now, we have 600 open positions in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

03:50 And you can find each of those on our website at employment.pa.gov.

03:56 That's why we are working to open up the doors--pardon me--open up the doors of opportunity

04:02 to more Pennsylvanians who want to serve and make the Commonwealth the best possible employer that we can be.

04:09 We started that work literally on day one of my administration

04:14 when I signed an executive order announcing that 92% of our state government jobs

04:21 would no longer require a college degree, showing that we value skills and experience

04:28 and know-how over arbitrary degree requirements.

04:32 And since we signed that executive order on day one of my administration,

04:38 60% of all of our new hires do not have a college degree.

04:44 But they do have the skills necessary to work for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

04:50 Because here's the thing, we respect you.

04:53 Whether you went to college or went to the military, completed a union apprenticeship program

04:58 or a Vo-Tech program or built valuable skills in your community, we respect you.

05:03 And we want you to be part of our family here in the Commonwealth.

05:07 I believe that there are many different paths to opportunity.

05:11 And I believe Pennsylvania should be a place where everyone has the freedom to chart their own course

05:17 and the opportunity to succeed.

05:19 No matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love or who you pray to,

05:24 we want you to work for us here in our Commonwealth.

05:28 I'm mindful that we need to constantly be working hard at this and doing more to build out our workforce,

05:35 especially when it comes to bringing in the next generation of young Pennsylvanians,

05:41 like Naysir Ribeiro, who you're going to hear from in a moment.

05:45 Naysir's parents immigrated to Pennsylvania, and after graduating Dauphin County Technical School,

05:51 he became a member of the first class of the IT help desk apprentices through the Office of Administration.

06:00 It's right here behind me.

06:02 And he brought valuable skills, Naysir did, and experience to the table.

06:07 And he's learning and building on those experiences through his apprenticeship as he serves his fellow Pennsylvanians.

06:15 We need more young people like Naysir to join our team.

06:19 Consider this for a moment.

06:21 Nearly a quarter of our employees in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will reach retirement age in the next five years.

06:30 So we need more folks like Naysir, new people joining our ranks

06:35 so that we're in a position to continue to be competitive and meet the needs of our fellow Pennsylvanians for years to come.

06:43 We need a workforce that's representative of Pennsylvania as a whole,

06:47 and a workforce that is accessible to our residents.

06:51 And that is what the executive order that I will sign in a moment sets out to do.

06:57 Under my executive order, I'll be directing the Office of Administration, under Secretary Weaver,

07:04 to develop new initiatives to recruit the best and the brightest,

07:08 to fill challenging and specialized jobs in the Commonwealth,

07:12 and to strengthen the benefits that we offer our employees.

07:17 For example, under this order, we're creating a pilot program that will offer financial incentives

07:24 to recruit Pennsylvanians who speak multiple languages.

07:29 We know that more than 1.5 million of our fellow Pennsylvanians speak a foreign language,

07:35 and they should all be able to access different services through the Commonwealth

07:40 in the language that they are most comfortable with.

07:43 This pilot program will start at the Department of Labor and Industry

07:47 with the staff from the Unemployment Compensation Service Centers,

07:51 who are on the front lines under Secretary Nancy Walker's leadership,

07:55 helping Pennsylvanians, many of whom speak a first language other than English.

08:01 We want to make sure they get access to unemployment benefits when they need it most.

08:08 We're also expanding internship and fellowship and apprenticeship programs

08:13 to attract more young people and give them the tools that they need in order to succeed.

08:20 And thanks to the collaboration between the Office of Administration

08:25 and our Department of Military and Veterans Services,

08:29 we're creating mentorship and networking programs to help new veterans transition into civilian life

08:37 as they begin their careers with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

08:42 So we're going to continue to hire impressive folks like NACER,

08:46 and for current and future employees, we're going to offer competitive and robust benefits.

08:53 We started this work during my first year as governor,

08:57 expanding paid parental leave from six weeks to eight weeks for new parents

09:03 and increasing the number of free mental health services we offered to Commonwealth employees.

09:09 This was a particular priority of our Lieutenant Governor, Austin Davis,

09:13 and we thank him for his leadership.

09:16 Under this executive order that I'll sign in a moment,

09:19 the Department of General Services will work to expand the amount of space

09:24 in Commonwealth-owned spaces for child care services

09:29 so we can help more parents care for their kids and get back into the workforce when they are ready.

09:36 We'll also further expand our paid sick leave benefits,

09:40 making clear that Commonwealth employees can use sick leave for both physical and for mental health.

09:49 And finally, this executive order directs the Department of General Services

09:55 to expand the availability of free period products in Commonwealth buildings all across Pennsylvania.

10:03 This has been an issue championed by the First Lady, my wife, Lori Shapiro.

10:08 She spent a ton of time advocating for it in our schools,

10:12 and it's critically important that we show leadership and offer them in our Commonwealth's facilities as well,

10:19 because we need to make sure that women have access to pads and tampons when they need them most

10:25 and not have to miss work because it's not available.

10:29 This is a place where the Commonwealth will lead by example.

10:33 To implement all of this and to ensure that we continue to update our policies and our benefits going forward

10:40 so we can stay competitive with the private sector in this changing environment,

10:45 this executive order also establishes the Hire, Improve, Recruit, and Empower Committee, or the Hire Committee.

10:54 You get it, right? The Hire Committee, okay?

10:57 This committee is going to be made up of senior leaders from across my administration,

11:02 including the Governor's Office, the Office of Administration, and the Department of General Services,

11:07 the Department of Corrections, Military and Veteran Services, Labor and Industry.

11:12 And this committee will meet regularly, beginning very soon, and will engage our labor partners,

11:19 some of whom are with us today along with others throughout this process,

11:23 to ensure that we have the best possible workforce that is truly representative

11:29 of the diversity and strength of our Commonwealth.

11:33 Look, we are working for this Commonwealth is incredibly rewarding.

11:38 Every day about 80,000 of our fellow Pennsylvanians go to work to help their neighbors and strengthen our communities.

11:46 But we need more Pennsylvanians to answer that call to service.

11:51 And that's why we're hosting this job fair here today.

11:55 I hope everyone will check in with representatives from our agencies and the jobs that they have available.

12:01 Again, there are 600 open positions right now, which we encourage you to apply for.

12:07 And for those who are watching at home, even if you can't make it here today,

12:12 you can head on over to employment.pa.gov and find your opportunity to serve your fellow Pennsylvanians.

12:20 So whether you've just graduated at a recent commencement, or you're starting a new career,

12:25 and you've been in the workforce for a while, but you're ready for a change, this is the place for you.

12:32 And I will tell you, I am honored to work with the 80,000 strong women and men of the Pennsylvania workforce.

12:40 And the person that leads that effort for us inside the Commonwealth is the Secretary of the Office of Administration,

12:48 Secretary Neil Weaver, and it's my honor to introduce him at this time for a few remarks.

12:53 Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary.

12:55 [applause]

13:00 Thank you, Governor, and good morning.

13:03 We want to thank everyone that came out for today's job fair, all those folks behind us.

13:08 This is the first time that we have held an event like this where almost every state agency is represented.

13:15 The turnout has been tremendous, and we look forward to doing this more in the future.

13:21 The executive order being signed by the governor today is about the future,

13:26 specifically the future of our state government workforce.

13:30 The Commonwealth is one of the largest and top-ranked employers in Pennsylvania.

13:36 At any given time, you can go to the state employment website and apply for hundreds of jobs,

13:42 openings here in Harrisburg and across the state.

13:46 We are going to need to hire even more workers in the years to come.

13:50 As the governor said, that's because approximately 24% of our workforce will be eligible to retire in the next five years.

13:59 That's nearly 18,000 employees who will take decades of experience and institutional knowledge with them when they retire.

14:08 This means we need to do everything we can right now to attract the best and the brightest to public service to lead the Commonwealth into the future.

14:18 When you get hired with the Commonwealth, you take the first step to opening the doors of opportunity.

14:25 For example, we know that those who came to work for the Commonwealth age 21, 22 back in 2019 had their salaries increase on average 77%,

14:38 and also had an average of three different jobs in the first five years.

14:43 We want to hire Pennsylvanians from all backgrounds, all beliefs, so that our workforce can continue to best represent our 13 million residents.

14:53 To do this, we are creating new pathways to careers in public service, like internships, apprenticeships, and fellowships.

15:02 We are offering programs to help our employees advance their careers and develop leadership skills.

15:09 We are updating our benefits to meet the needs of our employees.

15:13 As the governor said, we've expanded mental health and workplace balance.

15:19 We have increased paid parental leave for all parents aged from six to eight weeks.

15:25 And we are continuing to look at improving our workforce and hiring practices to ensure the Commonwealth can be competitive with the state's other employers.

15:36 We are also working to foster a workplace culture where every employee feels welcome and accepted so they can do their best work each day.

15:46 We're doing all this because we want employees who come to work for the Commonwealth to stay in the Commonwealth,

15:53 and because we want to provide the best possible service to the people of Pennsylvania.

15:59 Last year, the Commonwealth was ranked among the top employers in the state by Pennsylvania workers,

16:06 and one of the top employers in the nation by recent college graduates.

16:11 Through today's executive order to create the Hire Committee, combined with our ongoing efforts around recruitment and hiring,

16:19 we are positioning the Commonwealth to be a model employer and a destination for employees who want to make a difference through their work.

16:27 I look forward to chairing this committee and working hand in hand with the governor and our state agencies

16:33 to improve how the Commonwealth recruits, hires, and retains talent for generations to come.

16:39 Thank you so much. It is now my pleasure to introduce Mike Suckel from AFSCME 17.

16:47 [applause]

16:52 Good morning. Thank you, Secretary Weaver. Thank you, Governor Shapiro.

16:57 My name is Mike Suckel. I'm the organizing and field service director for AFSCME and the administrator of AFSCME Council 13 here in Pennsylvania.

17:05 Greetings on behalf of the 30,000 AFSCME-represented employees of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

17:11 This executive order, signed by Governor Shapiro today, represents a commitment by our state government to being a better employer for both current and future employees.

17:23 We appreciate that Governor Shapiro understands the value of public service and the importance of investing in the people who deliver those services.

17:32 That's what the Hire Committee is all about, incorporating critical input of the relevant stakeholders, such as AFSCME-represented employees.

17:42 AFSCME is proud to partner with the Commonwealth on these efforts.

17:47 They fall directly in line with our union's goals in the last set of contract negotiations and AFSCME's national Staff the Front Lines initiative,

17:56 our program that boosts recruitment and retention through collaboration with public employers.

18:02 AFSCME also represents family child care providers across the country and here in Pennsylvania.

18:08 Although they are not state employees, they are a critical link to employment in communities that don't have access to affordable daycare and early learning centers.

18:18 We appreciate the administration's efforts to support those programs as well.

18:23 The Hire Committee is a step in the right direction, which thankfully is something we've come to expect from this administration.

18:30 Thank you, Governor Shapiro, and thanks to all who've worked on this.

18:34 [applause]

18:40 Sorry, now let me introduce my colleague, Steve Cantonese from SEIU Local 668.

18:46 [applause]

18:50 I didn't think I needed an introduction. I thought I had some infamy.

18:55 Hey, everyone. My name's Steve Cantonese. I'm the president of SEIU Local 668.

18:59 We represent Commonwealth employees, 20,000 strong workers across Pennsylvania,

19:04 some of which are joining us today from unemployment, welfare offices, similar workplaces like that.

19:11 Another way it wasn't fair that I came after Mike is he stole a lot of my thunder on this because he was going to say really similar things.

19:18 If I was going to narrow on something, I would just say we're really appreciative the governor is moving forward with this

19:24 because state employee myself, I didn't run into as many of the challenges a lot of other folks do.

19:33 I'm a straight white male. I have no kids. I don't have to worry about childcare every day.

19:38 I don't have to worry about accessibility, things like that.

19:41 Looking through the contents of this executive order and what we're trying to target,

19:46 if I'm the person, like if I'm one of Mike's members that asks me that I'm going to be driving a snow plow,

19:52 if I'm a jobless person waiting for somebody at unemployment to get my benefits out to me,

19:56 or I need Medicaid at a welfare office, the workers shouldn't have to choose between whether they have to stay at home

20:01 and take care of their kid or go to office and get their work done.

20:06 If you're somebody who has to have English as your native language, I think as the governor said,

20:10 our diversity is our strength in Pennsylvania.

20:13 I've never had to call a hotline and ask for a secondary language in Spanish, French, Vietnamese.

20:20 Incentivizing these skills is going to be deeply important to not only recruit and retain qualified employees at the state,

20:29 but provide services that are needed for the commonwealth so desperately.

20:33 So all the things in this package and this executive order,

20:36 we're really excited to partner with the governor in making these a reality.

20:40 I think the key piece in here is there's a lot to do in here, there's a lot of good things to come,

20:46 and as the governor always says, it's time to get some good stuff done.

20:49 Thank you.

20:50 And I'd like to kick this to Nasir, my brother, who is an apprentice in IT.

20:55 Is that correct, Nasir?

20:56 Nasir is going to come up next.

20:57 Thank you.

20:58 [Applause]

21:16 Hello.

21:18 My name is Nasir Abdel-Rivera.

21:20 I'm an IT apprentice with the Office of Administration here at the commonwealth.

21:26 I'm based in a Puerto Rican-Bolivian household.

21:29 My mother is from Jalares, Puerto Rico, and my father is from Samaypata, Bolivia.

21:35 From a young age, I've held the belief that if I had the power to help someone, that I should,

21:42 because it was my responsibility to.

21:45 Also from a young age, I've had an endless curiosity about technology.

21:50 In high school, I worked as a web intern in the day and as a restaurant host at night,

21:57 constantly moving between cleaning maple syrup from tables and writing code.

22:06 In between days of helping my parents around the house, I would experiment with scripting languages.

22:13 I first learned about the IT apprenticeship from my co-op coordinator at Dauphin County Tech,

22:18 one of the many schools that OA recruits from.

22:22 And when I heard about the industry-wide certifications

22:26 and the clear path for advancement offered by the commonwealth, it won me over immediately.

22:33 The recruitment process helped me really understand everything

22:37 and made sure I felt really welcome and no longer overlooked.

22:42 Speaking honestly, the IT apprenticeship has absolutely been a great experience for me.

22:51 I'm surrounded by excellent mentors who pass their years of wisdom and experience on to me.

22:58 I get to explore all sorts of new technology.

23:01 I have a supportive work environment,

23:04 and I'm surrounded by a team of fellow apprentices on journeys like my own.

23:09 And there's no shortage of nice people to have mozzarella sticks with.

23:14 I believe the commonwealth is a place where you can build yourself up to be the person you've always wanted to be.

23:22 It has given me a path to a career that fulfills my lifelong goals to work with technology and help others.

23:30 If you ask me where I see myself in five years, it's right here,

23:35 working for the commonwealth as an IT professional.

23:39 If my story and my experience leave you with anything today,

23:43 it should be to always believe in the future and all the potential it holds.

23:48 Thank you.

23:49 Good job.

23:51 We're going to have some mozzarella sticks together.

23:53 All right. Sounds good.

23:55 Good job.

23:56 Thank you.

23:57 Why don't we head over here, we'll sign the EO, and then I'll come back and take some questions.

24:03 All right.

24:05 [ Indistinct conversations ]

24:08 [ Music ]

24:36 [ Applause ]

24:43 [ Indistinct conversations ]

24:56 [ Applause ]

25:04 [ Indistinct conversations ]

25:07 If there's any questions from the media for any of the speakers, we're happy to answer a few.

25:12 [ Indistinct conversations ]

25:15 Yep.

25:17 [ Indistinct conversations ]

25:20 I just can't hear you. I'm sorry.

25:23 The 600 open positions, is that high, historically speaking?

25:27 Is that a large vacancy rate?

25:29 The total positions are open 600. Is that a lot, a little, or is that about normal?

25:33 It's about normal, so, yeah, in the lower end of things.

25:36 Yeah.

25:37 Yeah.

25:38 The Secretary said it's about normal, a little bit on the lower end of things.

25:44 Great. Thank you all very much.

25:47 [ Applause ]

Gov. Josh Shapiro Signs Executive Order To Expand Public Service Career Opportunities

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