Allen County will learn more about the health and well being of its workforce at two public meetings next week.
Next Move Group, a nationally recognized economic development consulting agency focused on small to mid-sized communities, conducted a month-long study of Allen County’s labor market. The agency will share its findings Wednesday at Allen Community College’s Stadler Room. A meeting for employers is scheduled for 10 a.m. and one for the general public at 3 p.m. Both sessions will offer a virtual option, too.
“Next Move Group is committed to helping Thrive Allen County’s private sector businesses understand what trends we are seeing that might aid them in attracting the skilled workers they need,” said Chad Chancellor, Next Move Group co-founder.
“Our professional staff will be on hand [virtually] to discuss the labor study and the information uncovered including Allen County’s advantages, industrial labor growth, comparison to other regions, future occupational changes, wage comparisons, and more.”
Among the information shared, attendees will learn that Allen County has:
• Access to a population of more than 133,000 workers
• 3.5 times the manufacturing labor compared to the national average
• 10 times the national average of people employed as extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders
• 43 percent growth in semiconductor processing technicians over 5 years The number one concern of private business today is finding an available skilled workforce … Thus, best-in-class communities are ensuring that they have a grasp of where their workforce is today, what it takes to attract talent from an even larger labor pool, and what steps are necessary to make that workforce viable for future job opportunities. Chad Chancellor, Next Move Group
Through employer surveys and by utilizing other workforce data sources, Next Move Group identified the wages local employers need to pay to attract workers to drive to their facilities from the county and region. Higher-paying jobs create a larger labor pool while low-wage jobs have the opposite effect.
“The number one concern of private business today is finding an available skilled workforce,” Chancellor said. “These companies are struggling across the country to attract and retain talent post-covid. Thus, best-in-class communities are ensuring that they have a grasp of where their workforce is today, what it takes to attract talent from an even larger labor pool, and what steps are necessary to make that workforce viable for future job opportunities. The labor study delivered by Next Move Group does just that, and we applaud Allen County for being so proactive in this critical issue for their employers.”
Jonathon Goering, economic development leader at Thrive Allen County, encourages local businesses and key stakeholders to participate in one of Wednesday’s meetings.
“The information shared will be of great interest to our community,” Goering said. “It’s important to understand trends in the labor market, employer needs, and industries that are growing or declining. It’s my hope that our local businesses will use this information to their advantage.”
The labor study was funded by Allen County, the City of Iola, and Evergy. Contact Goering at Thrive Allen County for more information.
