Job Fest 2015 is here!
The region’s largest hiring and resource fair, Job Fest, happens Tuesday, January 27th, at the Joplin Convention and Trade Center. New to Job Fest this year is the Veterans Honor Hour at 1:00 with the full event open to the public from 2:00 to 6:00. The full list of employers and resource providers may beRead More
WorkReady counties advance to next level
The Certified Work Ready Communities initiative makes headway in three more counties locally. Dade and McDonald Counties in Southwest Missouri gained approval as Work Ready Communities in Progress. This brings the Southwest Missouri workforce region into full participation with CWRC. Joining the effort in Northeast Oklahoma is Ottawa County. As Oklahoma’s first county in ACT’s BrightRead More
NCRC boosts workforce rankings for states
The ACT National Career Readiness Certificate was recently mentioned in an article in Site Selection magazine, a publication devoted to corporate real estate strategy and economic development. The article outlines the need to address the shortage of technically skilled workers in today’s the labor market through economic development and training. It goes on to introduceRead More
How Human Centered Design enhances the workforce system
As Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) brings a new era of strategy and service to the nation’s public workforce system, local WIOA implementers can maximize their effectiveness with a better approach to understanding customers. That’s one of the key messages shared by the U.S. Department of Labor during their Sector Strategies Convening held earlier this monthRead More
New tools dig deeper into posted job openings
Decision-makers now have more options for judging the region’s economic health. Job Posting Analytics (JPA) provide a real-time peek at which industry sectors are hiring, the intensity of postings and how many are unique, comparisons of new hires vs. postings, and which employers are posting most often. JPA joins a dynamic suite of research services availableRead More
Raise your hand for a strong workforce
Raise Your Hand for Kids, in partnership with the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, will hold a community conversation with business and civic leaders on Friday, January 23, 11:30 am to 1 pm, at the Chamber. Lunch is provided. The group plans for discuss the region’s unmet needs in early education and health for childrenRead More
Jasper County CWRC pioneers another national milestone
As first in the nation to become a nationally-certified Work Ready Community with ACT in March of 2013, Jasper County crossed another national milestone this week as the first CWRC in the nation to be re-certified. Jasper County had until March of 2015 to meet the higher recertification standards, but finished more than four monthsRead More
Targeting middle skill jobs for competitiveness
The demand for “middle-skills” jobs—those that require more education and training than a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree—remains high, yet the lack of a properly skilled workforce is hindering the ability of American businesses to compete globally. Similarly, a lack of relevant skills is hurting the average American’s ability toRead More
Competitive Workforce
The WIB is committed to filling skill gaps and creating opportunities for Southwest Missouri’s workforce to score and enter vibrant, family-supporting careers. More >
Growing Businesses
The Business Solutions Center has the workforce ideas to help your business grow with the most value-added package of HR services available locally. More >
Regional Prosperity
Workforce and economic development partnerships integrate across channels and boundaries so the entire Four-States region can prosper. More >