What will Pennsylvania’s economy look like at the start of the next decade?

That’s a question state Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster, wants to answer — and the answer starts with creating the 2030 Commission on Education and Economic Competitiveness by passing a concurrent resolution through the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. The Senate Education Committee has passed the resolution, moving it on to the full Senate.

“Pennsylvania’s future depends on becoming a much stronger economic competitor to its neighboring states and, increasingly, a number of wealthy nations in a global economy,” Aument said in his legislative justification. “To meet the challenges of an interconnected, knowledge-driven global economic landscape, Pennsylvania must build the world-class education system necessary to produce a highly skilled workforce.”

The 18-month-long 2030 Commission on Education and Economic Competitiveness would have the authority to study the challenges within the current system and come up with policy solutions that will help educators and students prepare for the future.

In addition, the 2030 Commission will be supplemented by a sub-committee on Education Planning consisting of representatives from key Pennsylvania stakeholder organizations who will conduct research and policy analysis to inform the work of the 2030 Commission.

Recommendations would be released for possible action in the 2023 state legislative session.

Work would include analyzing global educational and economic trends to forecast the skills and competencies Pennsylvania’s workers and citizens will need to be competitive in 2030 and beyond; setting a vision for what Pennsylvania’s education system can look like in 2030 to meet that need; and analyzing what is being done now and how it must change to meet future needs.

“The urgency to reshape our education system into one that meets the economic and workforce needs of the commonwealth is significant,” Aument said. “Coupled with the problems associated with Pennsylvania’s aging population, our unreadiness for current and future labor needs is evident. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began to reshape the labor market, Pennsylvania faced an uncertain economic future. Large areas of Pennsylvania are heavily dependent on economic sectors that are currently in danger of job losses due to automation and are poised to see job losses accelerate in the wake of the pandemic. Though these changes will present new work opportunities in different industries, Pennsylvanians must be ready and able to fill these family-sustaining jobs.”