Mission
The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance is committed to strengthening Berks County’s economic vitality by developing a skilled, diverse and sustainable workforce pipeline that meets the evolving needs of regional employers and priority industries. Through strategic programming, employer engagement and cross-sector collaboration, GRCA works to ensure the region has the talent infrastructure necessary to support business growth, innovation, and long-term economic competitiveness.
Our priorities include:
Professional development & training
Talent attraction & retention
Supporting priority industries
Connecting employers, educational institutions & resource partners
Workforce & Demographics
In the past 10 years, the Berks County population grew by 4% and the City of Reading’s population rose by 8% making it the 4th most populous city in Pennsylvania. Our growing and diverse population are what makes our community and workforce unique. The 2020 Census confirmed that not only is the United States more diverse and more multiracial than ever before, but so is the City of Reading and Berks County — 69% of the City’s population identifies as Latino and 18.6% identifies as two or more races. Just over 23% of the County of Berks population identifies as Latino and 9% identifies as two or more races.