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North Country Short On Jobs, Job Skills

Lancaster, New Hampshire - November 17, 2009

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch addresses area business leaders in Lancaster with one focus-- jobs. Three years ago, Lynch formed a Jobs Cabinet, which holds regular roundtable discussions to brainstorm solutions to challenges that hamper economic growth. In this region of the state the ailing paper industry almost always takes center stage.

"We don't have the lumber mills, we don't have the paper mills. Whether we are hauling the raw product from the woods or the finished products from the mills to the markets, they are not here any more," Jack Devitt said.

Devitt owns a trucking company-- an industry that he says has fallen on tough times. Somewhat ironically, Devitt does have job openings, but cannot find the skilled workers to fill them.

"It isn't like getting your hands dirty anymore, it's very technically orientated and to find people to do that, it's difficult," Devitt said.

Educating a skilled workforce was echoed by other businesses at the roundtable. Kathy Eneguess, a representative from White Mountain Community College in Berlin, says that there is always the need to do better.

"We assisted people with upgrading their skills. People need to know that so they can go get those jobs. Our students who come and get their associates degrees, those are the ones who do get hired," Eneguess said.

"It falls on education, but it also falls on businesses so businesses give the feedback to the schools in terms of what they need from the students," said Lynch, D-New Hampshire.

There are currently about 50,000 Granite Staters out of work. This roundtable is designed to address the needs of businesses not only to employ those people but to create new jobs throughout the region.

Click here for more on the Jobs Cabinet.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News