The unbundling of education and the momentum building for short-term credentials shows end users that a degree isn’t the only way to earn and learn a living. Mark Schneider from the American Institutes for Research penned a feature, The Value of Sub-baccalaureate Credentials, for the journal Issues in Science and Technology with helpful insights for advocates and…
The Summer 2015 edition of WorkforceZone looks at recent impact and innovation along with emerging opportunities in workforce development for Southwest Missouri and the greater Four-States Area. The magazine-style report helps inform stakeholders, customers, community leaders, and state/federal officials of important progress for the region’s public workforce system. The PDF version is available as a 3mb…
The noble calling of economic development work extends beyond the mere dollars and cents of business recruitment and expansion. It’s about prospering communities and creating opportunities for the people of Southwest Missouri and the greater Four-States. The WIB upgraded its capacity with a new suite of tools through its partnership with Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.…
The unbundling of education and innovations in career pathways point toward a brighter future. The Institute for Credentialing Excellence provides an excellent of the emerging role for Digital Badges. This ICE Digest article covers the bases of opportunities, methods, challenges, and benefits. Fortune 500 employers confirmed their optimism in focus group research conducted by Professional Examination Service.…
It’s part annual report and part professional journal. The Winter 2015 edition of WorkforceZone looks at recent impact and innovation along with emerging opportunities in workforce development for Southwest Missouri and the greater Four-States Area. Check out the downloadable PDF online (18mb) for the following features. KOAM and KSN TV covered a legislative open house…
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 available…
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 to…
Job seekers looking to chart a course toward higher wages can gain new insights thanks to the Wage Explorer. Managed by the Missouri Economic Research Information Center (MERIC), this tool displays the entry-level wages, industries, and work regions of recent Missouri graduates based on programs of study. Continue on to explore the connections between training…
Workforce quality and availability routinely rank in the top five factors when surveying decision-makers and investors on which communities will provide the strongest return on investment. Often, workforce tops the list. The elusive search for skills within the ideal locations to invest can be made easier by starting with Certified Work Ready Communities (CWRC) and…
As noted in presentations last week at the Heartland Workforce Summit, WGU-Missouri is leading the way in competency-based learning as an efficient means for the workforce to gain skills in high demand at a lower cost and quicker path. More of Missouri’s two-year and four-year colleges are experimenting with the model as part of the…