Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 18, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 21 ADVICE & OPINION BY TIMOTHY MURRAY Special to WBJ T his summer, Worcester faces a challenge and an opportunity. Due to funding cuts in the Massachusetts Youth- Works program, hundreds of young people who are trained, motivated, and ready to work will not be placed in summer jobs. ese are students who will have completed workforce readiness training, who are eager to contribute, and who represent the future of our regional economy. At the same time, employers across Central Massachusetts continue to face workforce shortages and talent pipeline gaps. e Worcester Region- al Chamber of Commerce is partner- ing with MassHire, Worcester Com- munity Action Council, the City of Worcester, and the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester on #YES4Worcester to find ways to bridge that divide. We are calling on the Worcester business community to step forward in two possible ways. First, hire summer help directly. e Worcester Community Action Coun- cil can connect employers with a pool of prepared young candidates ready to add value from day one. ese placements are short-term, structured, and supported, giving businesses a low-risk, high-impact way to build their future workforce. Second, sponsor a youth job. For $3,200, a business can fund a six-week summer placement for a young person at one of more than 50 nonprofits across the city. ese include trust- ed institutions like the Boys & Girls Club of Worcester, YMCA of Central Massachusetts, Friendly House, and many others that rely on youth workers to expand services during the summer months. Sponsorship not only provides a young person with critical early work experience, but it strengthens the nonprofit sector that serves our community every day. Without private-sector engagement, too many young people will be le without access to that first job, the experience that our chamber member businesses say is foundational to long- term career success. We know this model works. Employers like UMass Memorial Health have demonstrated leadership through initiatives like its NextGen Workforce Program, which provides structured summer internships that build skills, confidence, and career pathways. Many YouthWorks alumni have gone on to successful careers right here in Worcester, contributing to the strength and vibrancy of our local economy. A first job is more than a paycheck. It's a chance to learn responsibility, build confidence, and see a future. For employers, it's an investment in talent, community, and long-term growth. e ask is simple: hire a young per- son, or fund one. Learn more: https:// masshirecentral.com/yes/ Timothy Murray is president & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Worcester's businesses can power the next workforce Timothy Murray CHAMBER CORNER W BY CRISTAL STEUER Special to WBJ W ith the changing landscape of the Worcester media, how do you and your brand or busi- ness stay relevant? As president of the Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Greater Worcester Chapter, this is a question that keeps me up at night. With a 24-hour news cycle, fewer local beat reporters, shrinking newsrooms, and distrust of journalism in general, the pressure is real. I don't want to date myself, but there was a time when Worcester media had more than a dozen traditional media outlets, the most robust coverage, plus a journalist for almost every beat. Many of my pitches and press releases found good homes. Fast forward to a decade later, there is almost half of that media, and you have to fight tooth and nail for very little ink, keyboard space, or a 10-second soundbite. So, what do you do with the limited media you have at your disposal? Keep showing up. It's about consistency and long-term strategy. Your most import- ant audience is in your own backyard. You need to keep going back to your key messages in order to resonate with your (or your clients') audiences. Make sure on your website, your FAQs, your press releases, your social media, your earned media all have your key messaging. For example, if Polar Beverages (full disclosure, I drink a lot of Polar seltzer) sees Spin- dri showing up in coverage where they expect earned media with key phrases like "Made with real squeezed fruit," "Health Conscious," "Better for you," Polar shouldn't change its key terms to get coverage back. e com- pany wants to make sure its channels are consistent with its key messag- es: "Heritage/since 1882," "Family Owned," "Worcester," "Nostalgia." It may need to take inventory to make sure these key words and phrases are showing up on all these channels. I recently completed Muck Rack's fundamentals of generative engine optimization certificate. According to Muck Rack, GEO is the practice of increasing the likelihood that your organization, spokespersons, and core narratives appear in responses gener- ated by AI-powered search platforms. By the end of the course, I realized PR is in the driver's seat with GEO. GEO is about making sure your or your clients' expertise shows up in AI-generated answers. When Claude, ChatGPT, and other large language models look for answers to prompts, they search for clear headlines, short sentences, easy to read FAQs, a reputable and credible source, and expert citations. Many LLMs cite niche, trade publi- cations since they don't have access to major media outlets like the New York Times. You don't need to entirely change the way you do things; instead you need to be consistent and inten- tional with your messages. Another facet of media strategy is How Worcester brands can stay relevant in a shrinking media environment KNOW HOW to pay attention to your audi- ence. Who are you trying to reach? If you are a manufacturing company and want to target the Worcester business community, then the Worces- ter Business Journal is a good bet. Additionally, MassMEP's blog, podcast, or newsletter might be a good option. If you are a new beauty brand open- ing up in the Woo, you might want to look at smaller trade publications in Massachusetts, an influencer, or a podcast that reviews beauty products. Smaller, niche publications get a bad rap with senior executives, but if that's where your audience is, it's in your best interest to meet them there. To stay visible in shrinking media markets, keep focus on your key mes- sages, audience, and channels. Image and reputation are not built overnight. ey take long-term strategy. Cristal Steuer is president and the accreditation chair of PRSA Greater Worcester and associate vice president of TVP Communications, a national communications and leadership agency focused on higher education. Cristal Steuer W

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