Only 57% of residents over age 16 in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys are employed. That’s 6% lower than the 63% average of those in the same age group who are employed statewide and nationwide.

At the same time, local employers struggle to fill job vacancies in nearly all industries and occupations. The struggle has caused some businesses to operate at reduced hours or even close their doors all together.

Population in the local five-county area of Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties in Ohio and Mercer and Lawrence counties in Pennsylvania lags behind other parts of the state and nation in educational attainment.

Also, according to the U.S. Census, poverty affects our area at a higher percentage than other parts of the United States.

Meanwhile, this five-county area that is served by Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries has experienced a notable decline in population, with a decrease of more than 41,000 residents since 2011. Additionally, nearly 37% of individuals living here are 55 or older, compared to about 31% in that age bracket statewide and about 29% nationwide.

To counter this trend, we must attract young workers, retain young people and ensure that every person who is willing and able to work does just that.

Both the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber and Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries believe in the value of people and the power of work. Through its mission, Goodwill seeks to ensure individuals seeking employment have opportunities through development and training while overcoming barriers that could hinder them in their job search.

That’s why the regional chamber and Goodwill Industries are teaming up to determine what is keeping local people out of the workforce and how we can overcome the barriers in order to grow the workforce. We are conducting a Community Needs Assessment to address local workforce needs. The collaborative effort includes a survey distributed to about 3,000 regional chamber members, other stakeholders and to the public. You are encouraged to take the survey now at regionalchamber.com/cnasurvey.

Collected information will be analyzed and combined with comprehensive data from sources like the U.S. Census and Department of Labor.

Then the hard part begins.

That will include gathering local businesses, community leaders and others to analyze the findings and create a community-wide action plan to combat barriers that we find. That will enable us and our partners to grow the local workforce and ultimately strengthen the economic fabric of northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

We already know quality education and training opportunities lead to future success, but the Census Bureau reports that 8.7% of local individuals aged 25-64 lack a high school diploma.

Consequently, 12% of individuals without a high school diploma are unemployed. That drops to 5% for individuals with some college and 3.8% for individuals with a bachelor’s degree.

While we realize not every job requires a college degree, most occupations require a high school diploma and specific training or certification.

Employment data shows that regional sectors with the best job growth (or most moderate job losses) over the last five years are transportation and warehousing (+714 jobs); arts, entertainment and recreation (+586); and construction (+371).

That’s why support systems must exist to help marginalized and vulnerable populations access education and training opportunities.

Workforce development and training initiatives and programs like those offered at Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries exist to serve this population. Despite these best efforts, the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2018-2022 revealed that 15.6% of the local population live below the poverty level, and 16.1% of households are enrolled in SNAP.

Further, an untapped workforce exists with disabled Americans. Locally, the Census Bureau reported only 40% of this population are in the workforce. We should explore what training programs and support are needed to assist this population in obtaining employment.

We hope our study will give us a better grasp of current and future employment demands, along with barriers faced by residents to prepare the workforce and foster a vibrant, economically strong community.

We believe insights gained will lead to the development of a robust plan of action designed to cultivate a skilled workforce that meets the needs of current businesses while attracting new enterprises to the region.

Indeed, no potential worker is expendable. We believe there is a business out there that can benefit from the talents and skills possessed by each potential worker, even if it takes a change in attitude or service offerings to help overcome whatever barriers may be keeping them out of the workplace.

Brenda Linert is director of government affairs and community impact at the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber.

Shelley Murray is interim CEO at Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries.