As we enter 2015, the goals for our state remain the same: to ensure everyone who wants a job can get one, and to give all Delawareans the chance to reach their potential. Much work remains, but the progress made in the past year should give us hope for the future. For 24 months, Delaware’s job growth has outpaced the nation’s. Last year we ranked near the top – and we’ve been rated one of the top two states best positioned for the new economy. More Delawareans are finding improved economic opportunities, whether it’s at the fast growing IT and data analytics jobs at our banks; or at one of our new startups that receives rent-free space through the Pop Up project; or maybe it’s at the site of the former Chrysler Plant, where the STAR campus is bustling with healthcare companies, manufacturing, and, now, one of the country’s fastest-growing tech companies. Despite all
of that, we know many Delaware families still don’t have a fair shot; whether it’s because they grew up in a dilapidated neighborhood, or their once good-paying job was replaced through outsourcing or new technology; or they couldn’t afford key services like health care, treatment for addiction, or job training. Many of these issues are rooted in long- term trends like globalization, the digital revolution, and limited government resources. So as we begin 2015, I will be proposing that we think differently about our challenges – that we recognize that the solutions to strengthen Delaware for 2015 and 2025 are different than those that worked in 1985 and ’95. As a native Delawarean, I know we are up to the task. Together, we will keep Delaware moving forward. Happy New Year.

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