Richard Soule is the vice president of business development at the R.I. Commerce Corp. Soule believes that the state’s Real Jobs RI initiative, which launched eight years ago, and its growing manufacturing sector can provide a blueprint for other states as they bounce back from pandemic-highlighted hardships such as skilled-labor shortages.
PBN: For those unfamiliar with Real Jobs RI, how does the program work, and what prompted its creation? What makes it stand out from preexisting initiatives in Rhode Island or elsewhere in the U.S.?
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SOULE: Real Jobs RI is the Ocean State’s sector-based workforce development initiative. The program ensures workforce solutions are driven, and developed, by actual employer and industry needs in order to better expand and aid the state’s labor market.
Real Jobs RI works with trade associations, nonprofits and local universities to build workforce solutions that address industries’ unique workforce challenges. Some of the workforce solutions can include: placing new employees into immediate job openings; upskilling current employees to advance skills or remain competitive; helping business owners and entrepreneurs advance their ventures; and creating pipelines of talent for the future.
PBN: Since launching in 2015, what are the most significant ways that Real Jobs RI has impacted the state’s manufacturing sector?
SOULE: Manufacturing is a key contributing industry to the overall success of the state. It employs nearly 40,000 individuals and approximately 8.5% of Rhode Island’s total workforce. Yet, a recent survey noted that the lack of available skilled laborers is a top factor limiting industry growth.
With Real Jobs RI, this top stressor is being directly addressed by ensuring businesses have the right talent with the necessary skill sets required to fill open jobs. For example, from 2015 to 2020, R.I.’s manufacturing output grew from $4.84 billion to $5.02 billion, and the state’s exports of manufactured goods grew from $1.57 billion to $1.75 billion.
PBN: What is your view on the current strength of Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector, and how has this evolved since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic?
SOULE: Rhode Island had a well-coordinated approach to continued business manufacturing during the pandemic. The state led the Northeast in bouncing back from an unemployment rate of 18.4% in April 2020 to only 3.6% in November 2022.
Throughout the last few years, Rhode Island’s 1,400 manufacturers have overcome various economic obstacles with determination, collaboration and support from industry organizations. In a survey last year from Polaris MEP, nearly 3 out of 4 Rhode Island “Voice of Manufacturing” respondents reported they planned to introduce a new product or service. Of these companies, 9 out of 10 will base production in Rhode Island – proving that the Ocean State is emerging from COVID stronger.
PBN: What are some of the major challenges still facing the sector, and how can Real Jobs RI address these issues?
SOULE: The biggest pain point for manufacturers (and all companies) is maintaining and growing the workforce. Sixty-four percent of Polaris MEP’s survey respondents said that the availability of skilled labor is a main factor limiting growth, with upskilling the current labor pool a close second. Real Jobs RI can help large and small companies organize virtual job fairs to recruit talent.
A Real Jobs RI program, “On The Job Training,” helps companies hire and train skilled workers and even reimburses the company for its efforts. Similarly, P-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) is an additional statewide program that provides companies with internships and mentoring opportunities at the high school level. These high schoolers can graduate with an industry-approved associate degree, which can be a gateway to a good-paying manufacturing job.
PBN: Do you see Real Jobs RI as a program that can be replicated in other states? Why or why not?
SOULE: I believe many of these programs can be replicated in other states. However, Rhode Island is unique (we all know that). We have a population of just over 1 million – we’re the second-most densely populated state – and our culture is very family- and community-oriented. This dynamic correlates to our manufacturers being recognized as companies and individuals who contribute to their local communities and share their prosperity with their neighborhoods.
As 86% of R.I. manufacturing companies have less than 100 employees, it is arguably easier to implement Real Jobs RI programs and see an immediate impact with smaller companies in a small state. However, I think all states can benefit and should share programs that are effective to help grow the country’s manufacturing sector and aid the labor market.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
Great self justification article. Funny, I didn’t see a list of the success RI manufacturers that have grown dramatically during the last 8 years because of this program.