Chris Masingill: Time To Reimagine Workforce Development In Arkansas

Editor’s note: This guest commentary was provided by Chris Masingill, who serves as the Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority. The DRA is a federal-state partnership whose mission is to help create jobs, build communities and improve lives in the 252 counties and parishes in the eight states of the Delta region.

This year as our kids have headed back to school, our region’s workforce training and education system needs to do the same.

The theory is: Great training and education leads to a great job – one that allows you to put food on the table, pay your bills, gives you a sense of security and, every once in a while, do something special with your friends or family.

But the reality is, not everyone has access to proper skills training or educational opportunities that lead to gainful employment, particularly access to those skills that are in line with today’s job market and the needs of our business and industry. And with so many workers, families, and communities still reeling from the Great Recession, that’s unacceptable.

Think about it – a recent report by the National Association of Manufacturers found 600,000 manufacturing jobs across the country are currently unfilled. In many cases, all these jobs require is a high school diploma. That’s not a problem with our people, that’s a problem with our workforce development system.

That’s why the Delta Regional Authority, together with Governors and economic development leaders across the region, believe it’s time we renew our focus, efforts and investments in all levels of workforce development —- K-12, two-year community colleges, four-year universities, and career and technical schools.

The labor market has evolved, yet our workforce training remains stagnant. Innovation has spurred economic growth in new sectors and brought with it new opportunity. The jobs of today are increasingly focused on technology, professional services, education and health care, underscoring a sharp break from the industrial and agricultural jobs of the past. Simply put, many of our training programs haven’t kept pace.

Accordingly, the Delta Regional Authority, in partnership with economic, government and business leaders, is holding a series of workforce summits, to identify and discuss new strategies and innovative solutions for developing a pipeline of skilled workers. We want to hear from business leaders about the kind of skills they need. We want to hear from career and technical schools about the kind of programs they’re offering. And we want to hear from workers and small business owners about what they need to rise to the next level.

But talking about it is not nearly enough. We are going to implement real solutions in real time. That’s why the Delta Regional Authority has made $1.7 million in competitive funding available to rural communities to strengthen the capacity of local leadership to bolster workforce planning and development systems in the region. Local and national political, business and community leaders across the region are stepping up and joining in this effort.

These new investments into our communities and their leadership will place a high priority on technical assistance and capacity building. For instance, the Delta Regional Authority will provide direct support to local communities in an effort to expand the issuance of national career readiness certificates and build an effective system for work readiness. Additionally, this funding will support the advancement of certificate programs, associates degrees, one-on-one apprenticeships and online learning opportunities in the Delta aimed at increasing the skill level of the area’s available workforce.

Here is the reality: Delta workers want good-paying jobs. By rethinking workforce development, we are making a lasting investment in our people, families and communities –- from Illinois to Louisiana -– ensuring they have access to the tools, education and training opportunities they need to be successful. Working together, we are going to create an environment where not only our workers but also our businesses and communities can thrive.

For more information about the Delta Regional Authority’s “Reimagining the Delta Workforce initiative,” visit this link.