Buford and Ellsworth's Viewpoint: Tools to help with pandemic recovery

While Covid-19 continues to disrupt careers and business models nationwide, Pittsburgh has taken a leading role in creating tangible resources, education and training for job seekers, small businesses and nonprofits seeking to operate more efficiently and effectively during the economic recovery.

An initiative called “IBM Service Corps Reignite,” a partnership with Partner4Work and other Pittsburgh-based organizations, provides no-cost, world-class training and resources to help reinvent their economic and professional future.

For example, if your small business needs help in developing a reopening plan and accessing available financing, or if you are an entrepreneur starting from scratch and need assistance in developing a website or learning about basic legal issues, the Reignite SkillsBuild platform provides courses and access to actual consultants who can help. If you are a job seeker seeking training in customer service, basic computer skills or “new collar” jobs (website design, cybersecurity or Linux), no-cost courses are available, resulting in a badge that recognizes course completion.

Before March 2020, the Pittsburgh region experienced historically low unemployment and robust growth. In April 2020, Pittsburgh had a slightly sharper decline in employment compared to national levels, with a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 16.9% versus 14.7%. Pennsylvania was among the first states to issue stay-at-home mandates.

As a result, Pennsylvania’s unemployment numbers soared, peaking at more than 1.2 million on May 2 before dropping to about 565,000 by Aug. 22. Minority-owned businesses in Pittsburgh face challenging statistics as well. A recent report found that more than half of Black-owned businesses, closed during the shutdown, will not survive.

Even before coronavirus, it was clear that jobs are changing due to automation trends. These disruptions require businesses, nonprofits and governments to make a fundamental shift in retooling the workforce. IBM Service Corps Reignite helps focus learners on cultivating practical and professional skills to meet the challenge and helps employers grow their businesses while making their workplaces more diverse and inclusive. That’s why public, private and nonprofit sectors united to help our community emerge from the economic disruption of Covid-19, collaborating with IBM to be the first city in the U.S. to launch Service Corps Reignite. 

The platform includes accredited learning content from IBM with personalized, 1:1 career development coaching, workshops, seminars and soft-skills training. To provide this “human interface” and to make the platform’s content rich and robust, IBM and Partner4Work have partnered with local organizations and businesses, including the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Community College of Allegheny County, Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Hillman Family Foundations, Human Services Center Corp., United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania and Jones Day, and is exploring collaboration with the UPMC Center for Social Impact, Duquesne Light Co., PNC Financial Services Group Inc. and Huntington Bank.

With these focused resources and tools, Pittsburgh small businesses and entrepreneurs can find resources  to create detailed plans to relaunch their business, educate themselves on key legal concepts, work with mentors to refine market research, engage with experts regarding economic development grants and financial management or learn about digital marketing techniques.

Job seekers may access job referral networks, home professional and soft skills, and take live or online courses applicable to jobs across industries.

With the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic, we know that flexible, quality training and learning tools will be the key to helping individuals reinvent their careers while helping businesses prepare and recruit talent. Bringing this global tool to the local market is a step in the journey toward a stronger future.