The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance is looking to recruit talent to the Berks County region with a new program its launching.
The Meet Greater Reading talent attraction program is a new service that is designed to connect prospective residents and job seekers with companies in the county.
In a press release, the GRCA referred to talent attraction as the top “pain point” for local companies.
Meet Greater Reading will have a trial run starting this month through the end of the year with an official launch coming in January.
The GRCA is working with a national talent attraction consulting agency, RoleCall, in developing the program.
“A vibrant and skilled workforce is vital to the success of local businesses and our economy. This initiative aims to bolster and cultivate our community’s workforce, which has contracted in recent years, primarily attributed to our aging population,” said Keith Stamm, director of workforce for the GRCA. “For this reason, we have been working with RoleCall, local businesses and partners over the past year to identify specific ways to support our employers’ talent attraction efforts while also developing strategic solutions to attract new talent to the area.”
The program will tout the region’s low cost of living, outdoor amenities and schools. It will also point to the convenient location of Berks County, which is only a short distance from Philadelphia and Lancaster and has easy access to major airports.
These main selling points and others will be highlighted through a paid, digital marketing campaign targeting candidates interested in moving to the Greater Reading region, which it hopes will ultimately result in a Talent Roster that GRCA’s talent team will distribute to local employers. Prospective candidates will receive curated information relevant to their industry and interests on a regular basis.
A special emphasis will be placed on nine key industries, including education, healthcare, engineering, manufacturing and skilled trades.
The program work was funded largely by the County of Berks as well as GRCA’s economic development investors.