Springfield Business Journal_2019-07-29

TWO NUMBERS MIGHT TELL THE WHOLE WORK- FORCE STORY. Here it goes: Over 50% of businesses plan to hire this year. But only 10% of residents plan to search for a new job. In addition to the skills gap Springfield-area exec- utives have been identifying, Springfield Business Journal’s 2019 Economic Growth Survey reveals another potential gap. Seems there’s a hiring quagmire. “The gap insofar as having enough available workers definitely exists and is widening, simply because the sheer number of available jobs has surpassed the number of qualified workers to fill them,” says Mary Ann Rojas, workforce development director for the city of Springfield. “There are more indi- viduals leaving than entering the labor market.” Additionally, the survey shows half of the Springfield area’s residents plan to stay at their current jobs. The data beg the question: Where will these workers come from? “They’re going to siphon off that talent from some- body else, creating another hole,” says Brad Erwin, president of Paragon Architecture LLC, speaking at SBJ’s recent CEO Roundtable on Economic Development. Erwin also serves as vice president of economic development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce board. Businesses poaching the talent of other local businesses won’t fix a thing, he says. “Flip it a different way,” Erwin suggests. “What’s going to attract the workforce?” More executives are talking along those lines. Richard Ollis of Ollis/Akers/Arney puts it in this light: “We used to attract business to our community. Now, the game has changed. We need to attract the right talent to our communities.” According to census data, the annual population growth rate has slowed slightly in recent years. The five-county Springfield metropolitan statistical area population has increased 0.9% a year between 2010 and 2018. The annual growth rate was 1.5% on average going back to the year 2000. Springfield’s population reached 168,122 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while the MSA came in just under 467,000 people. Even if the area grew more rapidly, that doesn’t necessarily equate to more qualified workers. “We have to look to other sources and invest more in training and retraining,” Rojas says. “The employers that will be successful in maintaining their competitive edge will be those that are willing to take advantage of alter- native workforce solutions.” Rojas points to breaking down traditional employ- ment barriers, such as criminal history, disability and lack of education. There’s also some new tools available with Gov. Mike Parson recently signing legislation for statewide workforce training and grant programs Missouri One Start and Fast Track. For the next generations, though, there’s a new mindset for employers to track. It directly impacts the hiring market, says Sarah Kerner, the city’s economic development director. “Newer college graduates often are looking at where do I want to live, and then I’ll figure out where to work. How do we be a place that some- body wants to live?” by Eric Olson, Editorial Director, Springfield Business Journal Is Workforce Gap Worse Than First Thought? 52% OF BUSINESSES EXPECT TO HIRE IN 2019 WHILE ONLY 10% OF RESIDENTS PLAN TO LOOK FOR A NEW JOB ALSO 52% OF RESIDENTS PLAN TO STAY AT THEIR CURRENT JOB 52% 38% 8% 2% Add Staff Stay the Same Downsize IDK Hiring Plans SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL WORKFORCE / SKILLS 4