Amanda Loder was StateImpact’s multimedia reporter until the project merged with the New Hampshire Public Radio site in July 2013. She now serves as a reporter and Weekend Edition Host for NHPR. You can continue to follow her work at @AmandaLoderNHPR, at nhpr.org, and on New Hampshire Public Radio.
GE Aviation Plant Manager Doug Folsom is struggling to fill jobs on the factory floor.
Nationally, there are about 600,000 unfilled factory jobs. But despite high unemployment, many of these jobs are proving difficult for employers to fill.
That’s because American manufacturers are increasingly looking for workers with specialized skills. And those skills can take a long time for workers to learn.
Take GE Aviation in Hooksett, New Hampshire. With 720 workers, it’s one of the largest employers in the state. GE’s factory is super-advanced, making parts for commercial planes, military fighter jets, and Blackhawk helicopters. But it’s not the intricately machined parts that stand out when you wander the factory floor. Instead, it is a sea of gray hair.
Advanced manufacturing work is often highly-skilled and detail-oriented
Ramping-up federal funding for highly skilled, computerized advanced manufacturing training at community colleges is a key part of President Obama’s jobs initiative. In a recent budget proposal, he pushed for creating an $8 billion Community College to Career fund. Among other things, it would increase training for advanced manufacturing. That sits well with a number of large companies, who say there are up to 600,000 jobs available on factory floors right now, but not enough qualified workers to fill them.
In a story that aired on NHPR, I looked into this so-called “skills gap,” and why it’s a lot more complicated than a shortage of qualified workers. Following that feature, I spoke with Morning Edition host Rick Ganley about why there’s some skepticism about taxpayers funding corporate training through community colleges. Continue Reading →
“Grants from money paid by electric utilities as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative…helped businesses reduce energy use by more than $5 million in the second year of the program, according to a new analysis…
For every dollar invested, the report said, there would be a return of $4.67 in energy savings over the lifetime of the projects: The lifetime savings from the $18.1 million spent from the fund are projected to be $84.5 million in energy costs based on current energy prices.”
As Brooks points out, RGGI has takes some heat at the statehouse,”because the cost of buying carbon-dioxide offsets is paid by utilities like PSNH, and thus helps raise electricity rates.” Supporters, however, argue that over the long run, cap-and-trade will cut down energy use, thus saving consumers money in the end.
Stimulus Funding Dries Up For Eco-Biz Incubator: A follow-up to our coverage of the Green Launching Pad. UNH began the start-up incubator and sustained it with federal stimulus money. Now, GLP’s looking for private support to keep up its mission of growing New Hampshire’s green economy.
Why NH’s Economy Is Especially Important For The 2012 Election: All nine swing states, including New Hampshire, are in different stages of economic recovery. But whether these states–including New Hampshire–will go Republican or Democratic this season hinges on a lot more than “It’s the economy, stupid.”
A new report says "high road" policies help grow manufacturing economies
Although tourism is something of a signature industry for New Hampshire, the largest sector of the state’s economy–by far–is advanced manufacturing. So-called “SMHT” (Smart Manufacturing/High Technology).
Looking back on the exodus of shoe and textile factories, the slow death of the wood products industry, and the decline of high-tech in the 1990’s, you’d be forgiven for chalking-up the growth of SHMT to the miraculous.
If Fairpoint agrees to the PUC's terms, underserved areas could see better broadband coverage
The question of whether to offer customers rebates for bad service or expand broadband access throughout the state is now pretty much for Fairpoint to decide.
The telecom company faces $2.8 million in fines related to a series of service problems that cropped-up back in 2009. Rather than return the fees to customers, Fairpoint asked the Public Utilities Commission to allow it to use that money to expand broadband access. As we previously reported, it was a controversial proposal. And, as Dennis Paiste now writes for the Union-Leader, the PUC approved the proposal by a vote of 2-1. But Commissioner Michael Harrington wrote a dissenting opinion: Continue Reading →
“New Hampshire soared above its rivals in two categories where it excelled – the state achieved an A grade for being the #5 easiest state nationwide for starting a small business and for being the #8 friendliest state in the country towards small businesses.”
But the survey also finds that not all counties are created equal. Continue Reading →
New Hampshire stands out as a friendly state for small businesses
Here’s a news tip courtesy of our sister site, StateImpact Idaho. The Kauffman Foundation and online hiring service Thumbtack.com surveyed more than 6,000 small business owners. The questions covered an array of topics, including: Overall small business-friendliness, ease of starting a business, hiring costs, regulations, training programs, networking programs, and current economic health.
And when you break it all down, New Hampshire’s small business environment far outpaces the rest of the Northeast, with a solid “A.” That’s compared to a “D+” for Maine, a “D” for Massachusetts and Connecticut, and an “F” for Rhode Island and Vermont. Continue Reading →
While Obama won NH in 2008, there's no guarantee he'll snag the Granite State a second time around
At this point, politicos figure nine states could go to either Obama or Romney this November: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and…New Hampshire. All of them went for Barack Obama back in 2008. But New York Times reporter Michael Cooper notes that Republicans have also made some major strides in those states over the past few years. And the rate of economic recovery looks very different in each place. Cooper writes that a number of economic factors beyond the axiomatic “It’s the economy, stupid!” could be in play: Continue Reading →
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