President issues call-to-action for communities to follow Delaware’s lead in preparing people for technology jobs

Wilmington, DE – An initiative that will train Delawareans for hundreds of open Information Technology jobs in the state was recognized today by the Obama Administration as the President launched an effort to connect more Americans to well-paying technology jobs through new training models.

According to the White House, the TechHire initiative builds on work in communities like the State of Delaware, Louisville, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and New York City, where the public and private sectors are partnering to provide citizens with targeted short-term instruction and commit that these individuals will be recruited for jobs upon successful completion of the training.

“To help more Americans thrive, and to give businesses access to the workforce required for them to compete at home and abroad, we must think differently about how we prepare our people,” said Governor Markell. “That means better aligning traditional education programs with business needs, but it also means getting workers critical skills as quickly as possible. In some instances, two- and four-year degree programs are too time-consuming, too expensive, and unnecessary. This intense short-term model must be a part of our job training efforts.

“I’m proud Delaware has been recognized for working in innovative ways to address our shortage of IT workers, and I applaud the President and Vice President for their relentless focus on giving Americans the education and training opportunities to thrive in the new economy.”

Delaware TechHire

Delaware’s TechHire initiative is part of a series of efforts announced in Governor Markell’s State of the State address to rethink the state’s approach to workforce training and ensure more workers gain the skills to meet the demands of key industries in the new economy. Several of Delaware’s biggest employers, which collectively have thousands of unfilled tech jobs, are joining with the state to train and hire hundreds of Information Technology workers through accelerated education programs and a “coding school” launching this fall.

Based on industry needs, training will initially focus on preparing participants for jobs as entry-level Java developers and IT infrastructure support workers. Six employers, including JP Morgan Chase and Capital One, are partnering to recruit those who successfully complete the program, which will allow them to become software developers in months rather than years.

“We are seeing an economic resurgence, but the President has made clear that there is still work left to do,” the White House said in a statement on the initiative. “America has about 5 million open jobs today, more than at any point since 2001. Over half a million of those job openings are in information technology fields like software development, network administration, and cybersecurity – many of which did not even exist just a decade ago. The average salary in a job that requires information technology (IT) skills – whether in manufacturing, advertising, hospitality, or banking – is 50 percent higher than the average private-sector American job.”

The President’s TechHire initiative builds on the job-driven training review that the President asked Vice President Biden to lead in the 2013 State of the Union. Amongst other findings, the Vice President’s review identified information technology as an emerging area of growth that requires job-driven training strategies to meet business needs and provide more workers with a path to the middle class.

Key elements of the TechHire initiative:

• Over 20 regions, with over 120,000 open technology jobs and more than 300 employer partners in need of this workforce, are announcing plans to work together to new ways to recruit and place applicants based on their actual skills and to create more fast track tech training opportunities. The Administration is encouraging more communities and employers to follow in their lead with similar innovative strategies to advance these goals.
• Private sector leaders are announcing commitments to provide free training through online training slots and expanding “coding bootcamps” – which provide intensive training for well-paying jobs, often in the course of just a few months. These efforts will also better support low-income and underserved Americans, including women, minorities, and veterans across the nation.
• National organizations are committing to work with interested communities to share job and skills information, job-matching tools, and other resources to help support the growth, adoption, and creation of promising practices across the U.S.

Communities highlighted by the President today, including Delaware, are committing to three actions:

• Using data and innovative hiring practices to expand openness to non-traditional hiring: Communities are committing to work with employers to build robust data on where they have greatest needs and what skills they are looking for; communities will work with employers to build willingness to hire from both nontraditional and traditional training programs; and communities will work with employers to review -and upgrade -their recruiting and hiring practices to enable non-traditional hiring.
• Expanding models for training that prepare students in months, not years: Communities will recruit, incubate and expand accelerated tech learning programs – such as coding bootcamps, and innovative online training – which enable interested non-tech-experienced students to gain coding skills in months, not years. These new models also have potential to reaching to a broader set of students than have traditionally chosen to pursue tech careers. These new training programs can be run both independently or embedded as part of a local community college or university education offering.
• Activate local leadership to connect people to jobs with hiring on ramp programs: Communities will build local strategies and partnerships to connect people to jobs, with steps ranging from investing in and working with industry-trusted organizations, which will vouch for those who have the skills to do the job but who may lack the typical profile of degrees and career experience.

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DOVER — Farmers in Delaware and nearby states who want to be better prepared for the coming implementation of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) have an opportunity to learn more about what will be required of them under the new law during a session at the Rutgers EcoComplex on March 23 from 9:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sponsored by the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture and presented by the Delaware and New Jersey Departments of Agriculture, the session will feature food-safety experts, retailers and farmers who have been proactive about preparing for new food safety regulations. A free lunch will be provided. The Rutgers EcoComplex is at 1200 Florence-Columbus Road, Columbus, N.J.

Transportation is available from Dover, with a bus leaving DDA offices at 7 a.m. Register by March 19 by calling 302-698-4501 or emailing lisa.wildermuth@delaware.gov.

“Growers in our region have done an outstanding job of producing safe, healthy food for generations,” said Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “FSMA sets a higher focus on food safety, but it is a focus that must be and will be met by the great vegetable and fruit producers in our states.”

“The parts of FSMA that will most directly affect our farmers will be finalized by the end of this year, and then the clock will start ticking for farmers to have the necessary food-safety plans in place to be incompliance with this federal law,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher. “It’s not too early for each producer to decide how they will prepare their operations for this new era of food safety.”

FSMA was enacted by Congress in 2010 and signed into law in 2011 in response to a series of foodborne illness outbreaks involving both raw products and processed foods that resulted in deaths and illnesses across the country. It gives new powers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to work with farms, food processors and other food handlers to create and maintain plans and procedures designed to prevent foodborne illnesses.

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Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Director of Communications and Marketing
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520
daniel.shortridge@delaware.gov

WILMINGTON–The Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission will be meeting Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center (501 North Madison Street, Wilmington, DE, 19801). The meeting will start at 5:30PM.

The Commission is tasked with carrying out a rapid, fact-based, intensive examination of public safety strategies in the City and offering recommendations to address Wilmington’s significant problem with violent crime. Lewis Schiliro, Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, and Joseph Bryant, Jr., Director of Public Safety for New Castle County are the Commission chairs.

Future meeting dates for the Commission are listed below and the specific meeting location will be announced.
March 17 @ 5:30PM.
March 31 @ 5:30PM.

Anyone interested in providing public comment should watch the State’s public meeting calendar and other notices for any updates to the dates and times of particular meetings. The calendar is available at https://egov.delaware.gov/pmc/

(DOVER, Del.—March 6, 2015)—The New Castle Court House Museum, located at 211 Delaware St. in New Castle, Del., will celebrate National Women’s History Month with the program “Louise du Pont Crowninshield—Historic Preservation Pioneer” on Wednesday, March 11; and a screening of the film “The Women” on Wednesday, March 25. Both programs begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For additional information, call 302-323-4453.

Presented by Kim Burdick, advisor emeritus to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, “Louise du Pont Crowninshield—Historic Preservation Pioneer” is a lecture that explores the life of the well-known preservationist and sister of Henry Francis du Pont of Winterthur. Crowninshield helped lay the groundwork for what would become America’s historic-preservation movement, and her efforts helped preserve the historic town of New Castle.

Based on the play by Clare Boothe Luce, the 1939 film “The Women” explores the lives and power struggles of various wealthy Manhattan socialites. Prior to screening the film, museum staff will present a short discussion of Luce’s life and accomplishments.

Designated by joint resolutions of the United States House of Representatives and Senate and proclaimed by six American presidents, National Women’s History Month is an opportunity to honor and celebrate women’s lives and historic achievements. Each year National Women’s History Month employs a unifying theme and recognizes national honorees whose work and lives testify to that theme. For 2015, the theme is “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives.”

One of the oldest and most historic courthouses in the United States, the New Castle Court House (main section built in 1732) served as Delaware’s first court and state capitol. Here in 1776, New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties declared their independence from Pennsylvania and England creating the Delaware State. The museum features tours and exhibits that illustrate Delaware’s unique boundaries, law and government and the Underground Railroad.

March 2015 programs
New Castle Court House Museum, 211 Delaware St., New Castle, Del. Wed.–Sat., 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Sun., 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-323-4453.

Ongoing
“Emeline Hawkins: Her Journey From Slavery to Freedom on the Underground Railroad.” Exhibit chronicles the compelling story of Emeline Hawkins and her family and their 1845 odyssey on the Underground Railroad from slavery in Maryland, through Delaware to freedom in Pennsylvania.

Ongoing
Sculpture by Charles Parks. Display of works by the noted Wilmington artist featuring historical and political figures including a Minute Man, and presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George W. Bush.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015
“Louise du Pont Crowninshield—Historic Preservation Pioneer.” Presentation by Kim Burdick, advisor emeritus to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, explores the life of the well-known preservationist and sister of Henry Francis du Pont of Winterthur. Crowninshield helped lay the groundwork for what would become America’s historic-preservation movement, and her efforts helped preserve the historic town of New Castle. 7 p.m.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015
“History Goes Hollywood: ‘The Women.’ ” Screening of the 1939 film about the lives and power struggles of various wealthy Manhattan socialites, based on the play by Clare Boothe Luce. Program features a short discussion of Luce’s life and accomplishments before the screening. 7 p.m.

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Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov

-Listing of museum events through May 2015 also included-

(DOVER, Del.—March 6, 2015)—On Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 2 p.m., the Zwaanendael Museum, located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del., will present a lecture by Bill Ayrey, lab manager and company historian from ILC Dover, who will discuss the future of space travel and space suits from the early 2000s to the present. The program is the final chapter of “Delaware Decades,” an eight-part series of lectures exploring successive decades in Delaware’s history from the 1930s to the 2000s. Admission to the event is free and open to the public but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling the museum at 302-645-1148 no later than March 13, 2015.

Founded in 1947 and based in Frederica, Del., ILC Dover is a world leader in the innovative design and production of engineered products employing high-performance flexible materials. Best-known for the production of space suits for NASA, the company also creates high-performance powder-handling systems for pharmaceutical and life-sciences customers; personal-protection equipment and lighter-than-air systems for commercial and government customers; and intermediate bulk-packaging solutions for multiple industrial markets.

The Zwaanendael Museum was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch along Hoorn Kill (present-day Lewes-Rehoboth Canal) in 1631. Designed by E. William Martin (architect of Legislative Hall and the Hall of Records in Dover), the museum is modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, and features a stepped-facade gable with carved stonework and decorated shutters.

Following is a schedule of Zwaanendael-Museum-sponsored events through May 2015. Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place at the Zwaanendael Museum located at 102 Kings Highway in Lewes, Del. Museum hours from Nov. 1 to March 31 are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. From April 1 to Oct. 31, museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free for all events listed. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Zwaanendael Museum exhibits and displays

Ongoing
“Delaware and the War of 1812.” Exhibit examines the service and sacrifice of Delawareans of 1812 to 1815, and the important role that the state played in a conflict that helped shaped the development of the United States.

Ongoing
“A Seaborne Citizenry: The DeBraak and Its Atlantic World.” Exhibit utilizes artifacts recovered from His Majesty’s Sloop of War DeBraak, a British warship that sank off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798 to tell the story of the vessel, its crew and the historical context within which it operated in the Atlantic World of the late 18th century.

Thru April 14, 2015 Ongoing
“Simple Pleasures: Play and Dance.” Display of original Edwardian and roaring-20s fashions that reflect the spirit of the liberated “modern” woman as depicted in the “Downton Abbey” television series. From the collections of the state of Delaware. Note change in closing date.

Zwaanendael Museum upcoming special events

Saturday, March 14, 2015
Delaware’s Decades—the 2000s. Lecture by Bill Ayrey, lab manager and company historian from ILC Dover, who will discuss the future of space travel and space suits from the early 2000s to the present. Eighth and final installment of a series exploring decades in Delaware’s history. 2 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by calling 302-645-1148 no later than March 13, 2015.

Thursday–Saturday, April 9–11, 2015
Lewes Tulip Celebration. City-wide series of activities celebrating Lewes’ Dutch heritage including Dutch games, crafts and a display of Delftware ceramics at the Zwaanendael Museum. Sponsored by the Lewes Chamber of Commerce. Downtown Lewes. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 302-645-8073.

Saturday, April 18, 2015
Dutch-American Friendship Day. Discover Delaware’s Dutch roots and learn how that connection is alive today.10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 25, 2015
King’s Day. Celebration of the birthday of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in a program that will also explore royal titles and Delaware’s Dutch connection. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 23, 2015
Fourth Annual Zwaanendael Maritime Festival: “A Sailor’s Life for Me.” Maritime-themed activities, games, displays by local organizations and more. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

 -End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone: 302-736-7413
E-mail: Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web: http://history.delaware.gov