Help wanted: Manufacturers, jobs programs scramble to attract workers (photos, video)
Richard K. Sullivan Jr., president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. “It’s a major economic development issue for us. These companies are major employers in their communities. And they can’t grow.” The 1,400-job deficit and other figures come from a recent survey prepared by the MassHire state job centers for Hampden County and for Hampshire and Franklin counties. It’s a document the two agencies will incorporate into the regional workforce plan they have already submitted to the Baker administration and will present to schools up and down the valley.