Today, the Hawthorn
Foundation, the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the Missouri
Department of Higher Education launched Talent for Tomorrow, an initiative that
will fundamentally reset Missouri’s approach to meeting the state’s workforce needs.
This transformational project
is the cornerstone of a comprehensive suite of initiatives, including DED’s
Best in Midwest economic development strategic planning effort and an upcoming
Hawthorn Task Force focused on statewide branding, that will position Missouri
to excel in a global economy changed by trade, technology, and other dynamic
forces.
“As our industry changes, so
do our workforce needs,” John Sondag, President of AT&T Missouri said. “We
have good high-paying jobs available, but can’t find applicants with the skills
we need to fill those positions. These are people that we need in order to keep
up with ongoing network investment and growing demand for our products and
services. They’re essential to our growth and continued investment in
Missouri.”
“Ensuring that our economy has
available, productive and talented workers is the single most important factor
for success in economic development. Our businesses will thrive and Missouri
will be more competitive if we attract, retain, and grow our workforce,” Director
of Missouri’s Department of Economic Development Rob Dixon said.
“In the coming decades, the
American economy will be profoundly affected by trade, technology, and other
megatrends. We must act now to ensure that Missouri will lead the nation in
preparing talented workers who can thrive in the dynamic new economy. Education will be a crucial part of the
action plan,” Commissioner of Higher Education Zora Mulligan said.
The initiative will produce an
assessment of how the state’s current workforce aligns with employer needs,
look at different economic scenarios to help build a workforce system that can
adapt as the economy evolves, and identify a pilot project.
“It’s my belief that no matter
one’s core industry, companies will need to be well positioned to be a digital
first industry. For agriculture to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge
digital innovations, we need technology-focused talent like software engineers,
data scientists, and programmers,” Melissa Harper, Vice-President of Global
Talent and Inclusion & Diversity at Monsanto Company said. “We’re excited
to see the state recognize the need to assess and redesign our workforce system
to evolve with Monsanto’s and other state employers’ needs.”
The initiative will culminate
with the announcement of a set of recommendations that will form an overarching
workforce strategy for the state. A major goal will be to align secondary and
postsecondary education with the public workforce system and the needs of the
private sector.
“Much like other races toward
innovation, we know that whoever figures out the right solution to this problem
is going to reap great rewards,” Director of Workforce Development Mardy
Leathers said. “Figuring out the workforce problem is what’s going to set us
apart from our competition. It’s going to put us at the front of the pack for
job creation and economic growth.”
Guiding the initiative will be
a task force of thought leaders from business and industry, education, trade,
the public workforce system, state and federal government, and the legislature.
There will also be opportunities for innovators, entrepreneurs, civic leaders,
scholars, and others to engage in the process through regional workshops in St.
Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, and Cape Girardeau.
“Hawthorn is delighted to help
sponsor this important initiative,” said Warren Erdman, Hawthorn Foundation
board chair. “Preparing our workforce is among the most important things
Missouri must do to compete for the jobs of the future.”
Task force and regional
meetings will take place over the summer, with the final report being unveiled
at the Governor’s Conference on Economic Development September 5-7, 2018.
For more information, visit the Hawthorn Foundation's
website.
Learn more about the
Department of Economic Development’s Best in Midwest initiative here.
About the Hawthorn Foundation:
The Hawthorn Foundation is a highly diverse group of Missouri leaders in
business, education, economic development, healthcare and labor dedicated to
making the state of Missouri stronger, thus developing a vibrant economy for
the state of Missouri. Hawthorn was created as and remains a non-partisan,
non-political organization of Missouri-based businesses and community leaders
in statewide business recruitment, retention, and development efforts. Hawthorn
also supports the State of Missouri government’s efforts to improve its
effectiveness and efficiency to better serve its citizens.
Contact:
Maggie Kost, Director of Communications
Missouri Department of Economic Development
(573) 522-5058
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