JA Newsletter "Futures"
Sponsorships Available
Futures
is reaching over 4,000 businesses.
Put
your business in front of people who care about business!
For
more information, please contact JA at
610-373-3500
or jab@jaberks.org.
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Apply
for PA Tax Credit To Give JA Programs To Kids
Does
Your Corporation Pay Corporate Income Taxes to the State of
Pennsylvania
?
Does
Your Corporation or Limited Liability Company pay a Corporate Stock Tax to the
State of
Pennsylvania
?
If
you answered yes to either of these questions your company may qualify for a
direct credit from these taxes if you contribute to Junior Achievement of
Greater Reading and
Lehigh
Valley
(a.k.a. Junior Achievement of Berks County, Inc.).
This program was established in
Pennsylvania
through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit as part of
Pennsylvania
’s Public School Code.
When
your company is approved by
Pennsylvania
(application is simple - www.newpa.com/programDetail.aspx?id=62), your
company is eligible (assuming a two year financial commitment is made by your
company) for the following:
-
Corporate
Net Income Tax – a 100% credit against your
Pennsylvania
corporate net income tax for each dollar donated to Junior Achievement of
Greater Reading and
Lehigh
Valley
. That’s correct, for every dollar you donate to JA that’s one
dollar you take off your PA corporate income tax bill!
-
Capital
Stock Tax – a 90% credit against your PA capital stock tax for each
dollar donated to Junior Achievement of Greater Reading and
Lehigh
Valley
. That’s
correct, for every dollar you donate to JA of Greater
Reading
and
Lehigh
Valley
that’s ninety cents you take off your PA corporate capital stock tax
bill!
This credit also applies to PA’s Bank
& Trust Company Shares Tax, Insurance Premiums Tax, Title Insurance
Company Shares Tax and Mutual Thrift Institutions Tax.
Junior Achievement is approved to receive
Educational Tax Credit contributions by the PA Department of Community
Economic Development.
When
you make a contribution to JA your tax dollars stay in the Berks, Lehigh and
Northampton
community.
Applications
for tax credits for fiscal year 2008-2009 (July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009)
will be accepted beginning July 1. Applications
for the second year of a two-year contribution commitment will be accepted
beginning May 15.
For further information, please contact
James W. Pruzinsky, CPA at Reinsel Kuntz Lesher LLP, 610-376-1595.
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JA
CEO
ATHENA®
Award Recipient
Excerpts from Robin’s
acceptance speech, April 28, 2008
Maya
Angelou writes, “A woman should know that her Childhood may not have been
perfect…but it’s over…” I agree with her that it may be over – but I
say, “it keeps you company for the rest of your life.”
I believe we become grown up versions of our childhood in some
respects…That our internal child remains deep within.
I
have led a life that I can testify to the importance of and need of strong,
positive role models in a child’s life. My Grandfather, Paul Hartranft, was
our male role model at home…one of the things he taught me stays with me
even today…He said, ” No matter what you do- Do it well” and “whatever
you choose to do YOU can achieve it if you work hard for it.”
…As
I grew personally and professionally and experienced wonderful management and
leadership opportunities, I took full advantage of giving back to the
community in any way I could, especially when it came to the development and
progress of women and their children.
…As
a late academic bloomer, I discovered that leadership development does not
always, but certainly can and should, start with young people…
…Over
the years my greatest professional joy has been the opportunity to work with
and to mentor outstanding young professionals working with me especially at
Junior Achievement. Best of all is
having high school students or their parents tell me that what was learned
through Junior Achievement put them on a path to a future they had never
dreamed possible.
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Northeast
Pennsylvania Education Gap Analysis Conducted in 2007
A Workforce and Workforce
Development System Gap Analysis for
Northeastern Pennsylvania
was conducted by
Wall Street West
in September 2007 through a federal grant provided by the Workforce Innovation
in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) program. The findings of the survey
state that two-thirds of the region’s financial industry jobs are customer
service and administrative jobs. For sustained growth to occur in this
rapidly-changing industry there is a need to shift from high school-based
service jobs to college level jobs in finance, accounting, management and
computer software engineering.
The industry’s labor needs
are shifting from high school to college trained talent while emphasizing the
importance of learning diverse skills versus training for a specific job.
Although 61 of the 69 school districts in the region met annual progress
targets in 2005-06, the performance of students in math and reading
proficiency tests is mixed. There is a need for “21st century
skills” including financial and entrepreneurial literacy and global
awareness to strengthen the educational experience and better prepare students
for the workforce. The region’s school districts offer limited formal soft
skills/employability instruction. Career awareness needs to be a higher
priority with consistent communications of career opportunities and related
information provided within the schools.
It is critical to involve industry
representatives in the educational process and to provide career
activities. Our region is importing college students and exporting college
graduates while the incumbent workforce is aging.
There is a strong need to
expand resources/techniques for career education and workplace readiness at
the elementary, middle and high school levels to address the academic, soft
skill and career awareness gap issues. Promoting the use of applied learning
in schools incorporating content from services and industries can provide
“real-world” projects that are more relevant helping students to improve
test skills. Students need to be introduced to global awareness, financial
education, entrepreneurship, and communications technology in their
curriculum. Develop career pathways at the high school level through career
academies, career and technical education programs and related initiatives
that allow participating students to earn college credits.
It’s time to engage in long-term efforts to enhance our region’s
workforce.
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