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Smart Workforce Solutions
Business Services from the Missouri Career Centers of Joplin and Monett
Southwest Missouri Gains “Strategic Advantage” with New Data Resources
Regional workforce and economic development professionals must ensure that their region’s workforce is prepared for the demands of a changing economy. This requires access to integrated, up-to-date, and regionalized data to help decision-makers steer their businesses and communities toward success. The Missouri Career Center is partnering with Economic Modeling Specialists Incorporated (EMSI) to bring the StrategicAdvantage data analysis suite to Southwest Missouri.
The concept behind StrategicAdvantage is simple: give business and community leaders the information they need to shape the economy and the local workforce. EMSI’s database includes 25 combined and augmented data sources, updates data twice a year with fresh information, and implements it all with industry leading web-based tools – Economic Forecaster, Economic Impact Analysis, and Career Pathways.
The Economic Forecaster (EF) module provides planners with current reports and projections for industries, occupations, and demographics in a selected region. Hundreds of industries (2-5 digit NAICS) and occupations (2-5 digit SOC) are available in the EF, and results can be filtered and organized using multiple criteria, such as number and percent change of jobs, education level, earnings, and more.
The Economic Impact module provides a host of critical information about the health and possible future directions for the regional economy. A customizable snapshot of the area’s economic base in shown in terms of jobs, earnings, and sales by occupation or industry. The tool helps local leaders determine gaps in the economy and see the potential of attracting new industries to complement current ones. Contacts in the Career Center can assist with impact simulations (or “what if” scenarios) that show the ripple effects of growth or decline in specific industries in terms of jobs, earnings, and/or sales.
One of the hottest trends in workforce development is integrating industry, workforce, and education perspectives. The groundbreaking Career Pathways module provides the vital data needed to implement cost-effective programs that transition workers from declining occupations to high-growth occupations with similar skill requirements. With Career Pathways, Southwest Missouri can create a more prepared and competitive workforce while maximizing return on investment. The region will be able to handle layoffs and downsizing more intelligently: transition dislocated or under-skilled workers into high-demand jobs. The tool will help local leaders discover skill gaps and training needs in your regional workforce, easily compare competency requirements for hundreds of jobs, and pinpoint the regional education/training providers offering relevant courses for workforce strategies.
The new StrategicAdvantage data tool comes online in March at the Missouri Career Center. Business and community leaders can contact Jasen Jones, Charles Shaver, or Tracy Lemmons for assistance on data analysis by calling (417) 629-3000. Data will be available for the Southwest Missouri counties of Barry, Barton, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, and McDonald, along with neighboring counties in Southeast Kansas, Northeast Oklahoma, and Northwest Arkansas that comprise the greater Four-State Area labor market.