Mission and Values
The Pocono Counties Workforce Development Board (WDB) is comprised of private-sector business, social service, education, labor, economic development and community-based organization representatives. The purpose of the Board is to provide strategic oversight, direction, and focus to the employment and training services provided to residents and employers of the 4 counties that comprise the Pocono Counties Workforce Development Area (WDA) – Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties.
Our Vision
The Workforce Development Board’s vision is to support regional economic growth and self-reliance through a comprehensive network of service locations, employment and training services, and strategic partnerships with the region’s employment, educational, economic development, and labor organizations. The economic future of our Workforce Development Area is dependent on a workforce that is globally competitive and aligned with the skills needed by the employer community within our local and regional labor markets.
Our Mission
The Board is committed to building a workforce system that is universally accessible to our labor force, accountable to its stakeholders, data-driven, and aligned with the economic development and education efforts of our community partners. It is also committed to a regional strategy of interaction and cooperation with the Lackawanna County, Luzerne/Schuylkill, and Northern Tier Workforce Development Boards that are part of our planning region for Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Located in the northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, the Pocono Counties Workforce Development Area is comprised of Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne Counties. The Pocono Counties employers and workers are connected to a wide range of labor markets. The labor market within the borders of the 4 counties, as well as those of Lackawanna, Luzerne/Schuylkill, the Lehigh Valley and the bordering states of New York and New Jersey. In the past decades, the Pocono Counties have become home to thousands of visitors who initially came to enjoy the natural landscape, pristine environment, and reputation as a vacation destination. The areas’ quality of life, low cost of living, and location within commuting distance of these larger labor markets has fueled recent growth in both population and economic development opportunities in our region. Served by the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as well as the major Interstates 80 and 81, the Pocono Counties are centrally located within the Northeastern U.S. Corridor. The Northeastern U.S. Corridor is home to 17% of the U.S. population and 20% of its’ GDP. If the Corridor was a country, it would be the 5th largest GDP in the world. Because of its’ location, the opportunities for economic development and the need for a skilled and diverse workforce within the Pocono Counties WDA are central to our mission.