Work Force Supplement 2017 Area Development

A Skills-Based Jobs Approach to Fulfilling Workforce Needs Page 5 Putting Military Veterans’ Skills to Work Page 8 Following the Millennial Workforce Back to the Burbs Page 12 2017

Manufacturing Workforce Certifications Will Help to Close the Skills Gap Page 16 The Impact of Substance Abuse on Finding a Quality Workforce Page 22

Special Supplement to Area Development Magazine

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PUBLISHER: Dennis J. Shea EDITOR: Geraldine Gambale editor@areadevelopment.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

ART & DESIGN: Patricia Zedalis

The national unemployment rate has been hovering around the 4 percent mark for some time now, presenting a problem for growing companies trying to fulfill their workforce needs — especially their need for a tech-savvy, young/ millennial workforce. Where can businesses find these individuals? CBRE’s Paige Krueger says they aren’t all necessarily in those downtown, “walkable” locations that everyone is talking about. In fact, many are moving to more affordable suburban markets.

PRODUCTION MANAGER: Jessica Whitebook

As manufacturing has evolved with advanced technology (computer-aided design, 3D printing, robotics, etc.), the need for tech-savvy workers in that sector has grown. The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index climbed to its highest point in six years in August 2017 — 58.8 percent — the strongest showing of manufacturing activity since April 2011.

Valerie Krpata (ext. 218) valerie@areadevelopment.com

Although these manufacturing jobs require advanced skills, they may not necessarily require a four-year college degree. In response to this need, manufacturers are turning to community colleges and other workforce partners — including vocational and technical schools and other industry organizations — to recruit and train skilled workers. Manufacturers are also promoting the pursuit of in-demand manufacturing certifications to help close the skills gap.

Another source of skilled labor has been found in those transitioning from military service. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program is pairing veterans with companies through a corporate fellowship program. And the Manufacturing Institute, in partnership with four large U.S. manufacturers, has launched a training initiative called Get Skills to Work, one of the biggest efforts to train veterans for manufacturing careers.

One issue affecting all companies that are trying to recruit workers today is the nation’s substance abuse crisis. As Woody Hydrick of Global Location Strategies notes, employers can’t afford the risk of having workers impaired by drugs in their production settings.

All of these issues are discussed in the articles in Area Development’s Q4/2017 Workforce supplement. Additionally, workforce initiatives instituted by this publication’s sponsoring organizations are profiled in the pages that follow.

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Talea Gormican ADVERTISING: Bill Bakewicz (ext. 202) billbake@areadevelopment.com

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER: Justin Shea jshea@areadevelopment.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Matthew Shea mshea@areadevelopment.com WEB DESIGNER: Carmela Emerson BUSINESS SERVICES: Barbara Olsen (ext. 225) olsen@areadevelopment.com EXECUTIVE OFFICES Halcyon Business Publications, Inc. PRESIDENT Dennis J. Shea dshea@areadevelopment.com FINANCE: Mary Paulsen finance@areadevelopment.com All Correspondence to: Area Development Magazine 400 Post Avenue, Westbury, NY 11590 phone: (516) 338-0900 toll free: (800) 735-2732 fax: (516) 338-0100 www.areadevelopment.com

Editor

©2017 Custom Publishing Group of Halcyon Business Publications, Inc., Publisher of Area Development Magazine

AREA DEVELOPMENT | Q4/2017

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SPONSORS/PROFILES

CONTENTS 3

E d i t o r ’s N o t e

F E AT U R E S

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A Skills-Based Jobs Approach to Fulfilling Workforce Needs Businesses are collaborating with academic and other partners to advocate for modern manufacturing jobs.

Putting Military Veterans’ Skills to Work Programs to hire military veterans, who have acquired problem-solving and leadership skills during their service, as well as programs to hire their spouses, are expanding.

Following the Millennial Workforce Back to the Burbs Are millennials really the corporate disrupters we’ve come to know?

Manufacturing Workforce Certifications Will Help to Close the Skills Gap Promoting the pursuit of in-demand manufacturing certifications will result in a win-win situation for both the manufacturer and the community in which it chooses to locate.

The Impact of Substance Abuse on Finding a Quality Workforce Employers are paying the price for America’s drug problem in terms of finding a quality workforce, and communities with histories of substance abuse are falling off site selectors’ lists.

ARKANSAS 14–15 Arkansas: Developing the Workforce of the Future Arkansas Economic Development Commission ARKANSASEDC.COM JMOORE@ ARKANSASEDC.COM FLORIDA 18–19 Cape Coral, Florida: A Growing Workforce to Meet Your Needs City of Cape Coral WWW.BIZCAPECORAL.COM ECODEV@CAPECORAL.NET IDAHO 21 Eastern Idaho Is Home to Country’s Largest Millennial Workforce Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho EASTERNIDAHO.ORG INFO@EASTERNIDAHO.ORG ILLINOIS C4 Ameren Services WWW.AMEREN.COM/ECDEV

MKEARNEY@AMEREN.COM

KENTUCKY 24–25 Kentucky’s Skilled Workforce Boasts a Strong Military Pipeline Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development WWW.THINKKENTUCKY.COM JOHN.BEVINGTON@KY.GOV LOUISIANA 26–27 Louisiana’s Customized Workforce Development Solution Louisiana Economic Development WWW.OPPORTUNITYLOUISIANA.COM/FASTSTART PAUL.HELTON@LA.GOV MISSISSIPPI 7–11 Mississippi’s Workforce Advantage Mississippi Development Authority WWW.MISSISSIPPI.ORG BKLAUSER@MISSISSIPPI.ORG MISSOURI C4 Ameren Services WWW.AMEREN.COM/ECDEV

MKEARNEY@AMEREN.COM

NORTH CAROLINA 28–29 Winston Salem — A Diversified, Growing Economy Winston-Salem Business Inc. WWW.WSBUSINESSINC.COM WWW.WHITAKERPARK.NET RLEAK@WSBUSINESSINC.COM SOUTH CAROLINA 30–31 Breadth. Depth. Success. South Carolina Is Ready. readySC™ – A Program of the SC Technical College System WWW.READYSC.ORG PRETULAKS@SCTECHSYSTEM.EDU TENNESSEE C2 Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development TNECD.COM MASTEREDINTN.COM

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ALLEN.BORDEN@TN.GOV

A SKILLS-BASED JOBS APPROACH TO FULFILLING WORKFORCE NEEDS Businesses are collaborating with academic and other partners to advocate for modern manufacturing jobs.

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inding young workers with a strong interest in manufacturing has become a perpetual challenge, says Jay Schmidt, executive vice president and general manager of Silicon Forest Electronics, an electronic services manufacturing company based in Vancouver, Washington. Many young people simply don’t believe financially rewarding and professionally fulfilling skilled manufacturing jobs exist in the United States, he notes. In response, Schmidt and his company devote time and resources to a number of outreach efforts to counter this narrative. Sometimes, that work provides striking dividends.

For instance, Schmidt points to the case of one of the company’s standout young employees. Silicon Forest Electronics first learned of the individual through a locally based industry ally, Partners in Careers, which helps provide resources, training, and job placement opportunities to job-seekers. The individual was a recent high school graduate with no designs on attending college.

Partners in Careers volunteered to pay the young man’s wages at Silicon Forest Electronics for 90 days with the aim of giving him industry exposure. Silicon Forest Electronics provided him with a range of work experiences, and he proved to be an unusually quick study, demonstrating — among other skills — that he could excel at military-grade soldering under a microscope. After his 90-day stint, the company offered him a full-time job and he took it. Since that time, the young worker has been trained to be one of the company’s machine technicians and is handling programming on a sophisticated piece of selective soldering equipment.

“He’s one of our selective soldering technicians a year and a half after we hired him,” Schmidt says. “If he wants to go to college, we have tuition reimbursement and other ways to help him out. In less than 24 months, he’s gone from not knowing anything in our industry to becoming one of our key manufacturing technicians.”

The story shows the value of manufacturers Student learns welding skills at South Seattle College’s working closely with industry and education partManufacturing Academy.

By Tom Gresham AREA DEVELOPMENT | Q4/2017

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ners to develop a pipeline of young skilled workers.

Schmidt explains that aggressive workforce outreach has become a necessity for manufacturers.

“We can’t sit around and wait for people to just apply for jobs anymore, because it’s just not going to happen,” he says. “I went back to Partners in Careers and said, ‘Man, that was great. Give me another one,’” Schmidt continues. “And they said, ‘We don’t have anybody else.’”

The story illustrates the scale of the task that manufacturers face and the scope of the work that is required.

MANUFACTURERS

tial of contemporary manufacturing careers. “We’re ARE TURNING TO starting to see that needle move a little bit,” she notes.

“I think people are startCOMMUNITY ing to see manufacturing as more than a second-choice COLLEGES AND option that you turn to when you can’t do anything else,” Bredeson says. “These are OTHERS TO RECRUIT great jobs and great-paying jobs.”

AND TRAIN SKILLED Nonetheless, Dan Belyea, interim director of workforce WORKERS. training for the Maine Quality Centers, which provide customized workforce training grants for Maine employers through the state’s community colleges, says misconceptions about manufacturing work still linger with Spreading the Good News young people.

About Manufacturing “Working in manufacturing today is not what With tuition at four-year colleges on a steadily young people think of when they think of manufacsharp climb, manufacturers are seizing an opporturing,” Belyea says. “It’s clean and high tech. It’s a tunity to reach out to young people and others to great area to work in — it’s not the old machine shop preach the possibilities of a career in manufacturwith oil dripping all over the place. But people don’t ing — with or without a bachelor’s degree. These know that yet.” outreach efforts typically emphasize the rewards of W h e n I n d u s t r y Ta l k s , skilled manufacturing work, often involving the use Academia Listens of technology. But many manufacturers are not just The Center of Excellence for Aerospace and talking — they also are working with partners to Advanced Manufacturing is one of 10 centers of develop training programs that can prepare workers excellence in Washington. The centers help comto smoothly transition into their fields. The ultimate municate the pressing workforce needs of the state’s goal is workers prepared to succeed in positions that major industrial sectors to the state’s 34 community/ companies have struggled to fill. technical colleges.

Industry’s partners in these efforts can vary, “We don’t have students and we don’t provide any ranging from workforce groups, such as Partners training programs,” Bredeson explains. “What we do in Careers, to more education-based entities, such is we meet with industry, learn what their emerging as community colleges and local technical schools. needs are, and we disseminate that information to Training is often focused on sophisticated new techour community/technical colleges.” nology that has changed the nature of manufacturing The arrangement represents one of the ways that and created new jobs. Companies covet workers who public-private partnerships can work toward addresscan excel in these positions. ing shortages of skilled workers for specialized manMary Kaye Bredeson, executive director of the ufacturing work. Bredeson points to her center’s work Washington State Center of Excellence for Aerospace with Boeing, which was founded in Washington and and Advanced Manufacturing, says she believes maintains a large presence there, as a demonstration young people are beginning to recognize the poten-

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of the way these collaborations can provide a boost for business.

Boeing informed Bredeson and her team that it was facing an emerging workforce need for industrial machine technicians as well as training in automation and robotics. At that time, Washington’s community colleges were not offering studies in those areas. However, the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing researched related programs around the country, including a training program developed in Lexington, Kentucky, where Toyota had opened a large production plant.

“We brought in subject matter experts and looked at the curriculum and relied on our industry partners to vet it,” Bredeson says.

“Then we applied for a Department of Labor tech hire grant and received just under $4 million to build that capacity.”

Siblings and more distant relatives of Washington’s program can be found around the country, providing manufacturers with a simple first step to exploring ways to identify suitable partners for training programs tailored to their needs. For instance, Belyea says Maine’s community college system works with employers from a wide range of industries.

According to Belyea, community college system representatives meet with business partners to identify high-demand service areas that would be fruitful for new training efforts. The colleges will provide direct training for the businesses for a fee, including training for both new hires and incumbents who need to expand their skills, or they will partner with the firms to develop training programs to serve industry more broadly.

For example, Southern Maine Community College helped develop a training program for textile manufacturing work in Portland with a number of partners. The program, which focuses on stitching, was built based on input from 26 different Maine manufacturers in that field, with leadership from Old Port Wool & Textile, a woolen goods manufacturer, and American RootsWear, a fleece maker, explains Belyea. The close involvement of the industrial partners helped make the training a success. “No matter what industry is involved, it’s important that the businesses participate,” Belyea says.

Dory Waxman, owner of Old Port Wool & Textile, was closely involved in the development of the textile training program and remains integral to its operation. Waxman says businesses, particularly manufacturers, that do not invest resources in workforce development are taking a major risk. “For any business that wants to be successful, I think education has to be a key component in building that success,” she points out.

ADVANCING BUSINESSES From nanochemicals enabling the first synthetic organ transplant to the world’s most advanced warships, Mississippians can customize your product. Just ask Nissan, Toyota, Hybrid Plastics, Huntington Ingalls, GE Aviation or many of the other industry leading manufacturers located in the state. Mississippi has the productive workers and customized training programs, both for new and existing industries. Mississippi’s research universities have a strong reputation for partnering with industry to move innovation from concept to reality.

The business advantages are clear.

Choose Mississippi.

MISSISSIPPI

ADVANCED

T h e Powe r o f I n vo lve m e n t

mississippi.org/advanced

Schmidt said manufacturers looking to bolster their workforce through partnerships should be ambitious and persistent in their

Continued on page 17

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PUTTING MILITARY VETERANS’ SKILLS TO WORK Programs to hire military veterans, who have acquired problem-solving and leadership skills during their service, as well as programs to hire their spouses, are expanding.

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eterans who leave the military need careers, and employers need high-quality employees. Fortunately, in recent years a number of training programs and hiring initiatives have been developed to address these mutual needs.

When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation started its Hiring Our Heroes (HOH)1 program in 2011, unemployment was still high nationwide in the wake of the Great Recession, and especially high for military veterans and their families. By June of 2015, the program had reached its goal of hiring 500,000 military veterans and spouses. In five years, because of HOH and other programs, the unemployment rate for veterans has dropped to an all-time low. The post-recession, 30 percent unemployment among vets is now 10 to 15 percent, according to Eric Eversole, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president and president of HOH. Last November, program officials conducted a study that showed a need for job-finding assistance to “transitioning” service members who are leaving the military. “We saw that we still have a large number of service members who are spending more than four months finding their first job,” Eversole says. Accordingly, HOH has shifted to a “more strategic approach,” Eversole explains, focusing on the approximately 200,000 service members who leave the military each year.

One HOH initiative is a corporate fellowship program to pair active-duty service members with companies for 12 weeks, just before their discharge. More than 700 vet fellows have participated, with 82 percent being placed in jobs for an average wage of $70,000, notes Eversole. Major manufacturers such as General Motors, Toyota, and Lockheed Martin are involved, to recruit workers equipped to succeed in advanced manufacturing.

Additionally, as HOH developed, a suite of online tools was added to help military job seekers worldwide on a 24/7 basis. Two of these tools, the Personal Branding Resume Engine for veterans and Career Spark for spouses (both powered by Toyota), are digital programs built to help job seekers translate their military background and skills into resume language that hiring managers and HR representatives understand.

Going forward, the HOH program will continue to emphasize on-base events and also focus on helping A hiring fair at a “transition” summit in response to a need for jobmilitary spouses find suitable employment, Eversole finding assistance for service members who are leaving the military

By Dan Emerson

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says. Military spouses still face 16 percent unemployment, four times the national average. A number of military personnel have been leaving the service due to lack of career opportunities for their spouses.

Eversole says one of the program objectives is to “help the military retain the best and brightest.”

“Military families want and need two incomes, so we are trying to change the narrative,” Eversole says. In 2018, HOH plans to do 35 events targeted at spouses at military installations. “We’re working with companies to identify opportunities for spouses,” he says, citing Nestle Co. as one example. “Many military spouses are incredibly well educated. But that population is being underutilized, because we need to think differently about them, as a tremendously valuable subset.”

Tra i n i n g E f fo r t s In 2012, the Washington, D.C.-based Manufacturing Institute2 partnered with four of the largest U.S. manufacturers to launch Get Skills to Work, one of the biggest efforts to train veterans for manufacturing careers. More than 500 companies have been involved, along with about 50 community colleges.

In January, the Institute is starting a new training program called Heroes Make America. The 10-week program will give transitioning service members training in basic manufacturing skills and certification, before they are discharged. It will be offered first at Fort Riley, Kan., and then rolled out to more locations, according to Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute. The program will make it easier to get vets into the employment pipeline, Lee says.

Caterpillar and Hallmark are two of the 10 companies engaged (so far) to provide jobs for vets from Fort Riley.

A technical college will provide skill training, and vets will also be able to access help with “soft” skills such as resume preparation and interviewing. “We also want to add to that support in the community, including other people who have made the transition, to help them adjust and succeed,” Lee says.

One company that has focused on recently or soon-to-be discharged veterans to find well-qualified employees is Denver-based DaVita Kidney Care, which operates about 2,500 kidney dialysis clinics nationwide. Since 2010, DaVita has hired more than 3,000 veterans.3 According to Andy Crish, a division vice president with DaVita and a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who served six years in the U.S. Navy, leaving at the end of 2006, the company “has always looked at hiring vets as the right thing to do because of the skills they bring and some of they success they’ve had here since the company started.” Within the last five years, the company has ramped up its vets program, adding a dedicated military recruiter.

DaVita does a lot of recruiting at veteran-specific military job fairs, and has a national hiring day, and goes to college business schools to meet with veterans associations. In September, DaVita hosted a firstof-its kind National Veteran Interview Day at eight of its locations across the U.S. Vets also had the chance to interview by phone.

To augment its vet training program, DaVita just started a new, two-day class called Veterans 2 Village (V2V) that focuses on selfdevelopment and introduces new veteran teammates to DaVita’s

MISSISSIPPI DELIVERS Mississippi’s multi-modal connectivity and well-integrated infrastructure provide unparalleled distribution and delivery for manufacturers. With six interstates, 14 federal highways, 15 ports, seven commercial airports, five Class 1 railroads and 2,500 miles of track, Mississippi is the epicenter of one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation and is within a day’s drive to more than 100 million people. By air, by sea, by rail or by road, getting your goods to market is easy in Mississippi.

Delivering business advantages is just one of our strengths.

MISSISSIPPI

DISTRIBUTION mississippi.org/distribution

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MISSISSIPPI’S WORKFORCE ADVANTAGE

Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, the world’s fourth-largest tire manufacturer, broke ground on the company’s newest manufacturing facility in Hinds County, Miss., in November 2016. The tire plant represents a $1.45 billion investment and will create 2,500 jobs.

By land, air or sea, Mississippi-made products are found around the world. From highly advanced aerial systems and components for space exploration to the majority of U.S. Navy battleships and sleek automobiles around the globe, Mississippians manufacture goods and products with precision. A skilled workforce and business-friendly environment keep a steady stream of industries locating or expanding in Mississippi.

A recent addition to the state’s impressive industry portfolio is Continental Tire the Americas, LLC. The company is constructing a new manufacturing plant in Hinds County, creating 2,500 new jobs and investing $1.45 billion. The world’s fourth-largest tire manufacturer’s decision was driven by the state’s commitment to developing a world-class workforce.

“We have found this site provides significant advantages for a future tire plant in terms of its large skilled workforce, as well as its ideal location and infrastructure,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president, Continental Commercial Vehicle Tires the Americas. “The state of Mississippi has developed an outstanding business climate, and this site met all of our needs for projected growth in the near as well as in the longer term.”

Mississippi is focused on building partnerships between industry and educational institutions. The Mississippi Works Fund allows the state’s community college system to enhance existing training programs to effectively meet the needs of companies.

The fund allocates $50 million over 10 years for workforce training.

Seventy-five percent of the funds are allocated toward new job 10

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creation, while 25 percent are allocated for existing workforce training and workforce certification.

Mississippi’s community colleges work hand-in-hand with industries, providing an array of assessment tools to quickly review applicants. The schools also provide pre-employment training and customized training programs, meaning workers are ready to contribute to a high-quality product on Day 1.

“I think Mississippi’s community colleges understand their role as an economic development partner — and I’ve always referred to them as a business partner — because there haven’t been any challenges I’ve presented to them where they weren’t both energetic and eager to conquer,” said Earl Walker, senior director of External Affairs-State and Government Business Development for Airbus Helicopters, Inc. “I’ve always told potential prospects looking for new locations, Mississippi is one of the easiest states to do business in that I’ve been to in my travels and in my work,” Walker added.

Working diligently with existing businesses while recruiting new companies shows Mississippians are ready to work. To learn more about Mississippi’s workforce advantage, visit or call the Locate Mississippi team at 1-800-360-3323.

Billy Klauser, Chief Economic Development Officer Mississippi Development Authority P.O. Box 849 Jackson, MS 39205 800-360-3323 • Fax: 601-359-4339

www.mississippi.org bklauser@mississippi.org

WOR K OPPORTU N ITY TAX CR E DIT Under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program, employers who hire unemployed or disabled veterans can reduce their federal income tax liability by up to $9,600 per hired employee, according to Alliant Group. com. 4 (The credit

is also available to employers who hire the long-term (nonveteran) unemployed, recipients of certain federal assistance programs, and other designated groups.)

Employers claim an estimated $1 billion each year from the WOTC.

existing military programs and benefits. Veteran Guides help facilitate the V2V live course. “We also have less formal vet mentoring,” Crish says. “Anytime a veteran employee is struggling with something, they can talk to a fellow veteran” through a vets work group led by the company’s military recruiter.

Crish has some advice for companies that would like to hire veterans: “First, really invest in understanding veterans’ skill sets. Also, you need to have a good training program to cover business skills and acumen.”

Finally, once they are hired, “honor and support them.”

CAN-DO ATTITUDE Before your doors open or the first product is produced, Mississippi

A Clear Business Case

and its community college

Lida Citroen, author of the book Engaging With Veteran Talent, says, “The business case for hiring veterans is clear. This is an exceptional workforce, with integrity and commitment to serve. Someone who has been in the military will have had opportunities to learn things many civilians have not — things like problem solving and leadership. They are taught that when there is an obstacle or problem, you don’t stop to find out whose job it is to fix it. You fix it,” she explains.

Citroen says the first step for companies that would like to hire veterans is finding out “if you have any veterans in the company right now. If they are willing, bring them into the conversation, to involve your target audience. Figure out your objectives and what success looks like” for vet hires.

It’s also important to train the hiring team to understand military resumes, which “look a little different” from standard business resumes.

When interviewing veterans, remember, “there are certain questions that are legal to ask, but not very kind,” Citroen says. “For example, you can’t ask someone if they have PTSD, but you can ask, ‘Is there anything that would make it difficult for you to do your job?’

So, it’s good to do a little HR training around that,” she advises.

“Hiring veterans doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive,” Citroen notes. “To get started, talk to other organizations in your community that work with vets. Start learning about this community that looks just like you and I, and are working all around us.”

system provide customized workforce training, giving you a skilled team of employees from Day 1. As new production techniques and processes develop, our team continues to train your team. Our eight universities – including four research institutions – are honing talent capable of giving your business a competitive edge.

Let Mississippi deliver job-ready employees for your business.

MISSISSIPPI WORKFORCE mississippi.org/workforce

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https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/hiring-our-heroes http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Initiatives/Military-and-Veterans/Militaryand-Veterans.aspx 3 http://careers.davita.com/military 4 https://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2017/06/08/NY11661 2

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FOLLOWING THE MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE BACK TO THE BURBS Are millennials really the corporate disrupters we’ve come to know?

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o fully understand the impact millennial migration trends are presently having on companies’ site selection decisions, it is valuable to compare what we know about site selection decisions of the past to what we know now about the millennial generation. Can we assume that millennials have the same preferences as their Gen X and Boomer counterparts? Or is what we hear in the news true? That is, millennials are disloyal employees who desire the convenience of a personal and professional life in a walkable downtown.

Then, based on the current research on millennial preferences, what can we say about the future of site selection decisions?

First, we must understand what is really going on with the millennial workforce of today. For our purposes, we will use the U.S. Census Bureau estimate of millennials consisting of adults born between 1982 and 2000.

Despite the common perception of millennials as strict urbanites, according to CBRE Research’s “Millennials Myths and Realities” report,1 a staggering 58 percent of millennials are willing to work in the suburbs or outskirts of a large town, while 55 percent are willing to work in a medium-sized town. Additionally, 28 percent are even willing to work in rural locations. Furthermore, 21 percent of millennials are willing to travel further from their homes for a better office environment.

Though the CBRE “Millennials Myths and Realities” survey results may be surprising, are they reflected in practice? The ostensibly shocking answer is yes. One reason why millennials are moving to these traditionally suburban markets is housing affordability and quality of life. The high cost of housing is encouraging and sometimes forcing millennials to remain at home longer than

By Paige Krueger, Client Services Coordinator, CBRE

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Providing the Necessary Tools

NV Energy’s Economic Development Department can provide the most cutting edge comprehensive listing of available properties for companies to consider in the state of Nevada. Nevada Site Locator is the state’s most advanced and only searchable GIS site selection database that is geared towards assisting businesses, brokers and developers searching for the perfect location.

` Save hours of research time ` Generates site-specific demographic and business analysis ` Download comprehensive easy to read reports

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WE CANNOT ever before. These homes, typically, are in suburban markets. Even when moving out of the family home, millennials may be seeking locations where wages adjusted for the cost of living are equal to unadjusted median earnings. In sum, they are looking for markets where they can both live and work. Millennials seem to be far more practical on the decision to balance the cost of living, quality of life, and office environment than previously assumed.

SIMPLY ASSUME

city, this is not necessarily true in practice. According to CBRE’s 2017 “Global THAT MILLENNIALS Occupier Survey,”3 talent attraction is still a primary ARE FLOCKING TO driving force in workplace strategy with 86 percent of U.S. respondents notDOWNTOWNS IN ing that they are adapting their workplace standards MASSES. with a goal of employee satisfaction.

These results reflect well what our Location Strategy and Economic Incentives groups find in practice. Many of our clients are asking where they can find talent outside of major cities, while still maintaining the workforce Keeping Costs Down they need and the business necessities salient to How is this willingness of millennials to live in their operations. Whether it is a call center movsuburban markets going to benefit U.S. businessing from a relatively expensive top-tier market into es? If companies can work on a business strategy a secondary, cheaper market while maintaining that allows them to retain millennial labor in a skilled labor force, or a back-office facility that these markets, they will also benefit from reduced needs to expand operations into a new market with labor costs. For example, according to CBRE’s less expensive real estate costs than the downtown 2017 “Scoring Tech Talent” report,2 companies headquarters, clients are seeking low-cost alternawill pay around $113,000 for a tech worker in the tives that still allow them to maintain the requisite industry-leading market of Seattle, compared to workforce. lower-cost markets like Madison, Wisc., where What can we take from this information? We canthey may pay an equally skilled tech worker closer not simply assume that millennials are flocking to to $78,000. Over the first five years of an emdowntowns in masses. As millennials age, suburbs ployee’s career, this equates to around $175,000 and mid-sized towns will likely be their preference of savings per employee for a company. Combine just like their Gen X and Boomer counterparts. Gothese savings with lower real estate costs, and ing forward, site selection analysis will become init’s clear there are significant costs savings ascreasingly critical due to the need to balance practisociated with operating a business in a suburban cal business needs and costs with labor availability market. With this example, it’s easy to see that and retention. It is no longer as simple as saying the suburban markets outside of large downtown downtown move is the easy option to recruit millenmetros can reduce labor costs significantly. nial talent and maintain a loyal workforce. Now, it How are these findings on millennial migration seems, a suburban shift may be the smart, longtrends and company overhead costs lining up with term, and practical move. today’s site selection decisions? Although it may 1 https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/Global-Major-Report---Live-Work-PlayMillennials-Myths-and-Realities-November-2016 seem that companies are quickly fleeing their previ2 https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/Scoring-Tech-Talent-2017 3 https://www.cbre.us/research-and-reports/Global-Occupier-Survey-2017 ous suburban campuses to join the masses in the

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ARKANSAS: DEVELOPING THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE

The Modern Workplace Program assists by connecting educators with the steel industry to help them experience firsthand requirements for students in the workplace.

“We’ve done all of the pre-employment training for Big River Steel as well as the post-employment training,” said Dr. James Shemwell, president of Arkansas Northeastern College. “We sent four of our full-time instructors to Germany so that they could learn the exact process used by Big River Steel so that we could customize every training component for what the company requires.”

Arkansas Northeastern College is a great example of long-term educational partnership in the state. The college has partnered with PACE Industries, a die-casting manufacturing and engineering solutions company, by providing customized workforce training and donating high-tech equipment.

Rapid changes in our global marketplace require states like Arkansas to stay ahead of the growth in order to meet the needs of business and industry, especially in workforce training and development.

Not only does Arkansas continue to lead the computer science and coding education movement nationwide, we are building foundations for student success in a variety of areas both in and outside of the classroom.

“In workforce development, our state is nimble and responsive to the needs of industry,” said Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “Our 22 two-year colleges and one technical institute can tailor curriculum to deliver courses designed to grow the workforce, and in turn, the state provides a variety of incentives, like the Quick Action Closing Fund, to assist.”

For instance, steel is one of Arkansas’ emerging industries. Nucor Corporation, Nucor Yamato, and Big River Steel all operate major advanced manufacturing facilities in Mississippi County in northeast Arkansas. Today, 5,500 Arkansans work in the steel industry, with much of their training provided through local community and technical colleges.

Most every industry in Arkansas — including timber, agriculture, and advanced manufacturing — requires workers with sharp technical and computer programming skills. And, in Arkansas, we’re starting early.

Governor Asa Hutchinson has made technology-based education, starting as early as fifth grade, a priority.

Additionally, Kata in the Classroom is a program that teaches students in K-12 how to solve problems using communication and teamwork.

In short, no matter what job skills are needed for businesses currently operating in Arkansas or for businesses considering relocation here, students are being given opportunities to respond to the demands of industry. Over the next 10 years, industry demands will undoubtedly continue to change. In Arkansas, we’ll stand ready to meet those demands with a trained and skilled workforce that is second to none.

Now, more than ever, Arkansas is open for business.

Jeff Moore Executive Vice President, Marketing & Communications Arkansas Economic Development Commission 900 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 400 Little Rock, AR 72201 501-682-7317 Mobile: 501-353-3883 Fax: 501-682-7499 JMoore@ arkansasedc.com ArkansasEDC.com

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ArkansasEDC.com/asa | 1-800-ARKANSAS

WE HAVE A WELL-TRAINED, EXPERIENCED AND EAGER WORKFORCE. STARTING WITH THIS GUY.

Some states say they’re serious about economic development. Arkansas is proving it, with a skilled and ready workforce that starts all the way at the top. Our Governor, Asa Hutchinson, is building the ideal talent delivery system with custom, ondemand workforce training to meet business needs and address skills gaps. The result is a state poised and ready to deliver market relevant workforce to the scale necessary to succeed. Go to ArkansasEDC.com/asa or scan this ad using the LayAr app on your smartphone to learn how you can join Asa and this amazing business venture we call Arkansas Inc. You’ll be in good company.

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MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE CERTIFICATIONS WILL HELP TO CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP Promoting the pursuit of in-demand manufacturing certifications will result in a win-win situation for both the manufacturer and the community in which it chooses to locate.

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anufacturers who are currently seeking to locate a new facility in a community have a number of major considerations. To be sure, utilities, local business climate, and incentives figure prominently in the site selection decision. But more and more, the availability of an adequate workforce to man the new operation is key to the community’s attractiveness and the new facility’s potential for success down the line.

Today, recruiting and keeping skilled talent in manufacturing is a daunting challenge. The sector suffers from a skills gap as mature manufacturing workers are retiring, and the numbers of younger workers necessary to fill the empty positions — workers with the proper skills to do the job in today’s high-tech operations — have not kept up.

Compounding the skills gap is the perception among young people — and those that guide them — that manufacturing facilities are dark, dirty, and dangerous rust-belt dungeons of days gone by. These individuals are unfortunately unaware of the fact that most forward-thinking manufacturing facilities are clean, bright, efficient workplaces that use some of the most cutting-edge technological advances available — and offer some of the best career opportunities around today for bright young people willing to work hard.

Whatever the nature of the manufacturing skills gap, as with all challenges there are remedies. One of these involves promoting the acquisition of certifications among a community’s workforce. The more individuals who possess the certifications manufacturers seek, the more attractive the community workforce is to an organization that’s assessing that community as a potential home for a new facility.

M a n u f a c t u r i n g C e r t i f i c a t i o n s To d a y What types of certifications are valuable to manufacturers today? Three of the most popular are those for set-up technicians, control technicians, and multi-skilled maintenance technicians.

By Chris Hobbs, Manager of Technical Training, Advanced Technology Services

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SET-UP, CONTROL,

Set-up technicians’ responCertified Success There is no doubt that the sibilities include setting up AND MULTI-SKILLED manufacturing skills gap is a machines (and new jobs on challenge to both employers those machines) so operaseeking to locate a new faciltors can initiate production MAINTENANCE ity, and communities looking cycles and ensure ongoing, to encourage manufacturing efficient operations. Control TECHNICIANS ARE growth in their areas. The technicians specialize in audevelopment of an attractive, tomated controls in process appropriately skilled workindustries, and as automaIN HIGH DEMAND force is a vital piece of the tion continues to revolutioncomplex puzzle. However, with ize manufacturing these TODAY. a little forethought and effort individuals will continue regarding the certifications to remain in high demand. that are most in demand toMulti-skilled maintenance day, both manufacturers and technicians — those who the communities they seek to possess skill sets involving a call home can eventually enjoy number of maintenance dissuccess in the form of a highly productive facility and ciplines — are in especially high demand these days. economic growth and prosperity in the area.

It has been popular in the recent past for manufacturers to invest heavily in engineers and financial personnel. Now they’ve had to recalibrate their thought process concerning the vital need for maintenance as it Skills-Based Jobs Approach relates to efficiency, productivity, and revenue.

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Continued from page 7

The Road to Certification How does a community promote the pursuit of in-demand certifications so its workforce is attractive to potential incoming manufacturing employers?

Building worker skills is best undertaken as a multipronged endeavor. Encouraging the development of appropriate courses and curriculum at nearby vocational and technical schools is a great start. Working with local high schools and counselors to counter incorrect perceptions and promote opportunities in manufacturing is another valuable effort.

Encouraging manufacturers to offer blended learning programs is another strong way to widen the workforce potential. Blended learning programs start with well-defined assessment testing of individuals that is then reported on in detail. The resulting analyses look at skills gaps not only by individual but also value stream, facility, and disciplines. Once specific insufficiencies are identified, a process-driven blended learning development plan can be outlined and implemented, with gate reviews, benchmarked milestones, and deadlines that are designed with both the individual’s and manufacturer’s needs in mind.

efforts. “Don’t let perfect get in the way of better,” he says. “Don’t wait for someone to provide things to you. Get out there and get involved.”

Bredeson says manufacturers and others need steady partners to keep up with the rapidly changing workforce climate, altered by the accelerated arrival of new technological solutions.

“The jobs are always changing,” Bredeson explains. “Technology is changing at such a rapid rate that we’ve got high school students starting ninth grade now, and by the time they graduate there will be new jobs out there for them that nobody has even heard of yet.”

Schmidt says the work of proselytizing for manufacturing is difficult but necessary. A great result, such as a young worker discovering talents no one knew were there, makes it all worth it.

“I’m a big fan of Stephen Covey who talked about ‘the law of the harvest’ — you can’t just expect to go out and take the fruit off the vine,” Schmidt says.

“You’ve got to put stuff in the soil. Employers need to invest at the root of things for this to really work.”

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CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA: A GROWING WORKFORCE TO MEET YOUR NEEDS

ideal. Almost all of Cape Coral’s residents — 90.4 percent — are high school graduates or higher.

The Cape Coral Economic Development Office (EDO) is effectively focusing on five targeted industries: medical/healthcare, light manufacturing, back office operations, corporate headquarters, and tech/biotech.

Business owners in these sectors often say that attracting employees for their growing operations is typically not an issue, even after undergoing several expansions. As Matt Richter of Ecological Laboratories summarizes it, “We live where people vacation.”

The Cape Coral EDO knows that isn’t enough. The needs of business and workers drive workforce solutions, resulting in unique job training opportunities created to fit highly specialized company needs. In addition to higher education institutions, there are a variety of training opportunities in Southwest Florida, ranging from apprenticeships and internships to on-the-job, incumbent worker, quick response, and customized educational training.

Workers at Architectural Metal Flashings in Cape Coral, Florida, use customized, state-of-the-art machinery to fabricate roofing components.

Cape Coral is the largest city in Southwest Florida, and its workforce is rapidly expanding in sync with its demographics. In fact, the Cape Coral metropolitan area is the fastest growing in the nation for both jobs and population, according to Moody’s Analytics, making it the right place and the right time for opening a business.

With more than 400 miles of navigable canals and 266 days of sunshine, the city’s unparalleled natural amenities fuel residential growth. The quality of life and low cost of doing business are key economic amenities driving commercial progress. And there is plenty of room to grow. Cape Coral is a 120-square-mile city — the third largest geographically in Florida — but it is only 50 percent built out. These factors combined with a ready and flexible workforce have been drawing national attention.

More than half (56.6 percent) of Cape Coral’s population falls into the workforce range: aged 20 to 64. With a population of 179,804, the median age is 44, so the balance in age, experience, and skillset in the workforce is 18

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Our EDO team is here to offer resources for new business owners to find the right employees for the job.

Cape Coral is the only city in Southwest Florida with a dedicated EDO, and it is a strong partner with Florida Gulf Coast University’s Small Business Development Center, located near city hall.

Why wait? We’ve got the logistics handled.

Contact the Cape Coral EDO team to get started on your new business destination today.

Dana Brunett Economic Development Manager City of Cape Coral 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.

Cape Coral, FL 33990 239-574-0444 www.bizcapecoral.com ecodev@capecoral.net

Cape Coral:

Ideal for Biotech Startup and Expansion

Since 1998, Ecological Laboratories has been expanding its research, manufacturing and distribution center in Cape Coral. The creator of sustainable, all-natural solutions for water quality issues and soil enhancements is undertaking its sixth expansion to increase its facilities to 78,000 square feet.

Cape Coral is an ideal fit for biotech research, development and light manufacturing because there is plenty of room to grow. Cape Coral is a 120-square mile city—the third largest geographically in the state—but it is only 50 percent built out. Matt Richter, of Ecological Laboratories, says it’s easy to attract new hires to Cape Coral thanks to its unparalleled natural amenities. “We live where people vacation,” Richter explains.

Cape Coral is ranked the No. 1 fastest-growing metro area in the nation. Bring your vision to Cape Coral—a unique community where you can begin to relax the moment you step out of your lab or office.

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Cape Coral Economic Development Office +1 (239) 574-0444 ecodev@capecoral.net bizcapecoral.com

25/10/17 5:18 PM

EASTERN IDAHO IS HOME TO COUNTRY’S LARGEST MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE

Eastern Idaho industries tap into one of the country’s largest pools of young talent to fill skilled jobs.

One of the nation’s largest concentrations of young talent resides in Eastern Idaho — the City of Rexburg to be exact.

The community, deemed “Millennial City U.S.A.,” boasts that 81.7 percent of its residents are under the age of 30, an average age of 22 — 15 years younger than the national average.

With two major universities, one community college, one university satellite campus, and several research centers — all within a 78 mile Innovation Corridor — Eastern Idaho is a prime location for industries looking for an extensive pool of young, educated, ready-towork talent.

The corridor is anchored by the Idaho National Laboratory, the nation’s leading complex for nuclear energy research and development. INL is one tenant on the U.S. Department of Energy’s 890-square-mile site in Eastern Idaho that supports multiple federal programs. These industry sectors and numerous others in the region find that they can tap into a massive group of young educated talent ready to fill job openings.

The region continues to support the state’s second-largest workforce as well as industries that require specific training by supporting apprenticeship programs throughout the area.

“The employment opportunities for young and seasoned scientists, researchers, and skilled technical talent in Eastern Idaho are astounding,” said Jan Rogers, CEO of Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho. “This is a great place for related industries Jan Rogers, CEO seeking to Regional Economic Development expand their for Eastern Idaho operations and 901 Pier View Drive, Suite 204 tap into our P.O. Box 51564 Idaho Falls, ID 83405-1564 large educated 208-534-1318 talent pool,” Easternidaho.org she said. info@easternidaho.org

Where once experienced, you’ll never leave...

Eastern Idaho has the 2nd largest workforce in Idaho.

St. Anthony Sand Dunes

Home to one of the country’s largest group of young talent – over 81% of the population in the City of Rexburg is under 30, 15 years younger than national average.

Mesa Falls

Home to three major universities, one community college, and business, research and advanced energy centers. Over 30,000 students registered at these institutions annually.

The Eastern Idaho Innovation Corridor is anchored by Idaho National Laboratory – the nation’s leading complex for nuclear energy research and development.

Craters of the Moon

Oregon Trail

Rexburg / Sugar City Idaho Falls / Ammon Blackfoot / Shelley Pocatello / Chubbuck

easternidaho.org / 208-534-1318 AREA DEVELOPMENT | Q4/2017 AREA0753.indd 1

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07/11/17 8:42 PM

THE IMPACT OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE ON FINDING A QUALITY WORKFORCE Employers are paying the price for America’s drug problem in terms of finding a quality workforce, and communities with histories of substance abuse are falling off site selectors’ lists.

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ccording to data from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. (NCADD), as reported in EHS Today,1 employer costs related to substance abuse totaled $81 billion in 2016; however, the rising use of drugs, especially opioids like heroin and prescription pain killers, leads most experts to believe that total will rise.

Just how many workers are using drugs? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the number of people who admit to ever using an illicit drug rose from 31.3 percent in 1979 to 48.8 percent in 2015, as reported by WalletHub.2 Prescription drug abuse is equally rampant. A National Safety Council/ NORC study3 on the impact of opioid abuse on missed work found that the leading cause of missed workdays in America over the past year was “pain medication use disorder” (29 days), followed by “illicit drug use disorder” (18 days), followed by “marijuana use disorder” and “any substance use disorder” at 15 days each. Alcohol use ranked fifth at 14 days compared to the 10 days missed by the general workforce.

If you listened to National Public Radio’s recent series on America’s opioid crisis,4 you learned that in the 1950s and 60s, nearly all workingage men 24 to 54 were in the labor force. Now that rate is 88.5 percent.

While some of this is attributed to the retirement of the baby-boom generation and a tendency to pursue post-

By Woody Hydrick, Managing Principal, Global Location Strategies

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The power to grow.

As a utility delivering reliable energy to businesses in Illinois and Missouri, Ameren is also focused on helping businesses throughout the entire development process. From site selection to energy infrastructure assessments and beyond, the expertise offered by Ameren’s Economic Development team gives businesses the power to grow.

We’re focused on the success of your business, today and for the future.

See how we can help you grow at Ameren.com/EcDev or 1.800.981.9409

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graduate degrees, there is enough credible data to believe opioid addiction is also a factor.

The Resulting Productivity and Safety Issues for Manufacturers Drug use and addiction is a frustrating dilemma for manufacturers in America who already have large voids in their workforce due to a lack of skilled labor, an aging labor force, and close to record low unemployment rates. It’s also adding to the negative perception many foreign companies have of the American workforce as unskilled and unqualified.

The situation is particularly vexing for rural communities that struggle to attract and maintain large employers for myriad reasons, lack of an available workforce being chief among them. Disturbing statistics from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),5 show that methamphetamine addiction is most prevalent in rural areas where job opportunities are limited.

Columbiana Boiler, which manufactures galvanized containers in Columbiana, Ohio, was recently profiled in a New York Times article (7/24/17)6 about the growing problem American drug use is having on our workforce. The story reports that one quarter of the company’s job applicants fail drug tests, making them ineligible for employment. Applicants don’t lack the necessary skills for Columbiana’s welding, machine floor, and forklift operator jobs, but the marijuana and/or opioids flowing in their bloodstream impairs their ability to think clearly, putting them and co-workers at risk of injury or worse — death. It also increases the likelihood of absenteeism and presenteeism (i.e., at work but not fully functioning), both of which have profoundly negative impacts on productivity. Despite the fact that Columbiana Boiler loses approximately $200,000 worth of orders each year due to manpower shortages, its CEO Michael J. Sherwin says flatly, “We can’t take any risks with drugs.”

Interestingly enough, there is a growing argument — particularly among those who live and work in states where marijuana is legal — that drug screening by employers for marijuana usage should be abandoned. Their argument that screening for a legal substance is unfair is, at best, weak because it doesn’t take into account the fact that the active chemical in marijuana stays in the bloodstream much longer than alcohol. This makes it impossible to tell whether a worker used the drug that morning or many days ago.

As noted earlier in the case of Columbiana Boiler, manufacturing professionals often work in environments where proper precautions and operating procedures must be followed to avoid the possibility of death or injury. Impaired workers can also damage the quality of the products being manufactured, which could also lead to consumer death or injury. Employers simply cannot afford the risk of having workers who may be impaired in their production setting.

The Effect on Site Selection American drug use has become so pervasive that it is now customary for site selection professionals to consider its prevalence when analyzing potential investment locations. However, this is not without its challenges. The data that is available often applies only to large geographies (i.e., states, counties), can be quite old, may only reflect drug usage as associated with criminal activity, and may not capture nuances such as the use of legal medications for nonprescription purposes.

As a result, drug usage information on prospective communities must be gathered via original survey of existing employers or staffing agencies with questions such as: “What percentage of applicants for your production operations fail to pass initial drug screenings?” and “What drugs are most commonly cited for applicants’ failed drug screenings?” This methodology is limited in effectiveness because it is not holistic and may not give a true reflection of the prevalence of the problem in a given area or be applicable to all manufacturing employers.

Employers are well aware of the ill effects drug use has on the ability to effectively operate and compete in the marketplace. As the issue escalates into a national crisis, economic development officials are realizing the yeoman’s work needed to reign in the problem. Finding solutions with lasting results will require a collaborative effort with healthcare, business, government, nonprofit, and research institutions. Until then, it is our responsibility as site selection professionals to advise client employers to locate in areas that offer the greatest opportunity for long-term success. Drug use is a deal-breaker.

Thus, communities are advised to take action now before it gets the better of them.

1

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http://www.ehstoday.com/health/drug-abuse-costs-employers-81-billion-year 2 https://wallethub.com/edu/drug-use-by-state/35150/ 3 http://www.nsc.org/Connect/NSCNewsReleases/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=186 4 http://www.npr.org/2017/09/07/545602212/opioid-crisis-looms-over-job-marketworrying-employers-and-economists 5 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/substance-abuse 6 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/24/business/economy/drug-test-labor-hiring. html?mcubz=1

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KENTUCKY’S SKILLED WORKFORCE BOASTS A STRONG MILITARY PIPELINE

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin has put a priority on recruiting transitioning military members into the state’s workforce. The Governor is encouraging Kentucky businesses to take advantage of the unique skills and work ethic of military members as they transition back into private life.

Any large-scale employer will tell you that one of their primary concerns in the site selection process is finding a skilled workforce that is ready and willing to fill the company’s specific needs. Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin knows this and has placed a priority on one possible solution — recruiting transitioning military members into the private sector.

Kentucky is blessed with two military bases, Fort Knox and Fort Campbell. Approximately 450 transitioning veterans enter the workforce each month across the state, and many already possess the skills needed to start their careers.

Bringing Veterans and Employers Together One organization that is helping veterans make the move to the civilian workforce is Where Opportunity Knox (WOK), which has been connecting veteran talent with participating employers in the Greater Louisville region since 2014. An initiative of Greater Louisville Inc., the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce, and One Southern Indiana, WOK has connected nearly 6,000 veterans with employers to date.

Eileen Pickett, interim executive director for WOK, said the organization has adjusted throughout the past three years to determine what methods work best to bring veterans and employers together. “As Where Opportunity Knox continues to grow to meet the talent needs of the regional economy, we have seen measurable results as we expand our work24

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place experience offerings, directly connecting not just individuals but groups of veterans with our region’s leading employers,” Pickett says.

In early 2017, WOK shifted its primary focus to “workplace experiences,” which provide veterans with a first-hand look at life in their new careers. WOK’s Employer Showcases allow veterans to learn more about each industry and engage with current employees and company leadership. Companies participating in these events have included Amazon, GE Appliances (GEA), Norton Healthcare, Raytheon, UPS, LG&E, and KU, just to name a few, with more expected in 2018.

Transitioning to Civilian Careers Another successful initiative has been the Senior Leaders Corporate Fellowship Program (SLCFP), an eightweek course where senior military leaders transition to a civilian career, spending four days each week working for a regional business. According to GE Appliances Senior Talent Acquisition Recruiter Tawnya Clark, “This program provides GEA an incredible opportunity to get to know these highly qualified candidates while they learn, contribute, and experience our culture in the process.”

As a rising number of Kentucky employers can attest, the state’s skilled workforce is expanding, and transitioning veterans will continue to be a significant driver of that growth going forward.

To learn more about Where Opportunity Knox, visit www.WhereOpportunityKnox.com.

John Bevington, Commissioner for Business Development Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Old Capitol Annex 300 West Broadway Frankfort, KY 40601 800-626-2930 www.ThinkKentucky.com John.Bevington@ky.gov

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LOUISIANA’S CUSTOMIZED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTION

ing to 24,000 individuals at more than 150 expanding Louisiana employers. Increasingly, FastStart is a key influencer in why those employers choose to invest in Louisiana over other states and nations.

“I was blown away with FastStart’s flexibility and their capability to customize,” says Tom Yura Sr., senior vice president and general manager for BASF’s chemical facilities in Geismar, Louisiana.

The LED FastStart team includes dozens of experienced private-sector professionals from a range of industries. The team’s goal — to help firms efficiently ramp-up through intelligent training — gives workers the skills they need from opening day.

Even before the Great Recession, Louisiana leaders set their sights on a new strategic direction for workforce training. Flexibility and innovation were programmed into state agencies and college campuses.

New thinking expedited training. Skills in high demand received priority funding. And from this crucible of innovation, LED FastStart® was born.

Nine years later, the Louisiana Economic Development program remains the U.S. gold standard for projectfocused workforce training. Louisiana’s nimble, collaborative approach touches the workforce supply chain at critical junctures: foundational programs in high school classrooms; intensive skills-training at advanced manufacturing centers on community college campuses; and industry-advised technology classes at research universities.

With that foundation, LED FastStart professionals create a custom plan for recruiting, screening, and training a new workforce for expanding firms in target industries, such as advanced and traditional manufacturing, logistics, information technology, corporate offices, and petrochemicals. Manufacturers must create a net 15 jobs and service firms a net 50 jobs to be eligible for the cost-free, comprehensive solutions.

Since 2008, FastStart has delivered highly customized train26

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Customized training plans are drawn from an in-depth analysis of each company’s workforce needs. Elements of that training might encompass workforce safety, regulatory standards, industry-specific benchmarks, and leadership development for upper-level managers.

Recruitment of well-suited job candidates is just as crucial. LED FastStart has created social media recruiting campaigns for technology firms as varied as video game developers Gameloft and EA, and Fortune 500 giants that include IBM, GE, and CenturyLink.

Louisiana’s new approach to workforce development cultivates meaningful partnerships between state government, private industry, and higher education.

In every case, regional workforce demand determines training programs and coursework.

It’s a strategy that works for both employers and job-seekers, and one that spans the state.

Paul Helton Executive Director of Workforce Programs Louisiana Economic Development 627 North 4th Street, Suite 2-200 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 225-342-5543 www.OpportunityLouisiana.com/faststart paul.helton@la.gov

WE’LL DELIVER A GROUNDBREAKING TEAM BEFORE YOU EVEN BREAK GROUND. A team so well-trained that they’ll hit the ground running. Grads of curriculums so customized, businesses helped build them. Part of a workforce so devoted, it’s nationally recognized.

When you bring your client’s business to Louisiana, you’re putting LED FastStart®, the nation’s top state workforce development program, to work for them.

Get started at LouisianaWorksWithYou.com STAT E WO R K F O R C E TR A I N I N G P R O G R A M Business Facilities, eight years and counting

I N T H E U N I T E D STAT E S F O R WO R K F O R C E E N GAG E M E N T Gallup poll comparing enthusiasm of the nation’s workers

I N T H E N AT I O N FOR DOING BUSINESS Area Development’s annual Top States for Doing Business report

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WINSTON SALEM — A DIVERSIFIED, GROWING ECONOMY

Over the past two decades, Winston-Salem has experienced major diversification of its economic makeup attracting businesses in various sectors from manufacturing to healthcare and life sciences. Today, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Novant Health, WinstonSalem’s two local hospitals, are the city’s major employers with over 25,000 employees between them. Many other medical- and science-related companies have recently elected to call Winston-Salem home as well.

The Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, Winston-Salem’s downtown research park, has also experienced significant growth in recent years. This mixed use center and hub for innovation in biomedical science and information technology is home to both growing and wellestablished tech companies, loft apartments, degreeseeking students, and more than 2.8 million square feet of work space including labs and offices with over 60 acres available for future development.

Winston-Salem has a history of importance in manufacturing with companies like Herbalife, B/E Aerospace, Bekaert Deslee, and Hanesbrands all manufacturing their products here.

With the recent acquisition of 28 28 •• WORKFORCE WORKFORCE

Whitaker Park from Reynolds American Incorporated, Winston-Salem Business now has 1.7 million square feet of building space available for lease through Whitaker Park Development Authority. These buildings, formerly part of the Reynolds tobacco manufacturing campus, are equipped to accommodate manufacturing and distribution operations.

With this economic diversity comes cultural diversity, making Winston-Salem a great community offering a wide range of activities for all lifestyles. A thriving downtown scene, proximity to outdoor trails and hiking, and multiple breweries and wineries mean there is always something going on here. This provides a quality of life that is unmatched, which in turn attracts even more people to the area, keeping its workforce strong and its economy growing.

Robert E. Leak, Jr., President Winston-Salem Business Inc. 1080 W. Fourth Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-723-8955 rleak@wsbusinessinc.com www.wsbusinessinc.com www.whitakerpark.net

LIVING AND WORKING IN

THE city of arts and innovation

WINSTON-SALEM, FORSYTH COUNTY, NC

Located within 650 miles of more than half the U.S. population

Innovation Quarter 240 acre urban-based research park

Ranked #4 in the U.S. for cost effective data centers by the Boyd Company

Regional workforce of over 800,000

Cost of living well below the national average

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www.wsbusinessinc.com (336) 723-8955

24/10/17 2:58 PM

BREADTH. DEPTH. SUCCESS. SOUTH CAROLINA IS READY.

for the state. More than 85 percent of companies who’ve made the decision to locate to or expand in South Carolina rank readySC’s services as playing a significant role in their ultimate decision to move here. readySC’s services are designed to build your company’s initial workforce; however, South Carolina’s efforts do not stop there. Working in tandem with the local technical colleges, our Apprenticeship Carolina™ program, and our e-Zone job retraining program, we strive to take your workforce from initial startup or early production to 100 percent proficiency. From your organization’s initial startup and early production goals to the company’s long-term growth strategy, South Carolina offers a comprehensive workforce solution custom-designed to meet your needs.

readySC™ was established as an economic development training incentive designed to guarantee South Carolina could remain competitive through changing economic circumstances. It remains a key component of South Carolina’s economic development engine and has been recognized for more than 50 years as one of the nation’s premier programs of its kind. readySC is not a grant program but instead will commit to providing your organization with the recruiting and training services necessary to build your initial or expanding workforce. readySC will provide a qualified pipeline of training candidates and train those candidates to the specifications identified for entry-level positions in your organization.

At no cost to qualifying companies, readySC provides recruiting, assessment, training development, project management, and implementation services. To qualify, companies must be (1) creating new, permanent, fulltime jobs for the state; (2) paying a competitive wage for the area; and (3) providing a benefits package that includes health insurance. readySC focuses on the recruiting and initial training needs of new and expanding organizations in South Carolina. It is a flagship program for the System and continues to be a top incentive 30

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Since its inception in 1961, readySC has played a key role in all of South Carolina’s major economic development wins, including GE, Michelin, BMW, Bridgestone, Boeing, Continental, Volvo, and Mercedes, among many others. readySC at a glance: • Trained nearly 4,000 individuals in FY 2015–16 • Trained over 289,000 people since 1961 • Served 78 companies last fiscal year • 53 percent of last year’s projects were new companies to the state, while 47 percent were existing companies undergoing expansions BREADTH. DEPTH. SUCCESS. South Carolina is ready. Let readySC put their unparalleled experience to work for you. For more information visit our website at www.readysc.org.

Susan Pretulak, VP, Economic Development readySC™ – A Program of the SC Technical College System 111 Executive Center Drive Columbia, SC 29210 803-896-5276 pretulaks@sctechsystem.edu www.readysc.org

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