For the first time in the nation, two governors
have joined forces to deal with work force bistate needs. At
the joint request of the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council
and the RCGA, Governors George Ryan and Mel Carnahan have declared
the bistate region a single labor market. A unified labor market
will improve the region’s ability to attract and retain both
businesses and employees.
The region has already taken a running start to build a strategy
for a coordinated system that develops and continuously improves
the region’s human capital. This system will enhance the skills
of the region’s current work force, fulfill the requirements
of existing firms, improve their productivity, and anticipate
and respond to the changing demands of the region’s dynamic
economy.
The
regional strategy will bring together existing systems
together to:
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- Identify
and continuously monitor the skills needed in the
labor force and work with schools to make sure this
material is incorporated in the curriculum at all
grade levels.
- Encourage
businesses to be involved in and use the existing
work force training system and improve the capacity
of the system to raise the skills of entry- and mid-level
workers, help them retain employment and transition
to higher-paying jobs.
- Create
a research and development presence using the region’s
university systems to attract and retain intellectual
talent and promote sharing of new ideas and technologies.
- Develop
and market a regional work force intelligence system
to accurately track, monitor, and address the work
force demand necessary for the growth and retention
of business and employees, by connecting and enhancing
existing information resources.
- Link
the planning and decision-making process for work
force development and other work-related systems such
as transportation and childcare.
-
Identify and communicate information about existing
and potential private and public sector resources
to enhance the competitiveness of the regional work
force.
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The value for this regionwide approach was recently validated
in an independent analysis assessing the region’s labor force.
The RCGA commissioned Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based
Paragon
Decision Resources, Inc. to do the analysis.
The
Paragon analysis concludes:
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- The
overall quality of the labor force in St. Louis is
among the best in the nation.
- St.
Louis has the talent in place to become one of the
great biotech/life sciences centers in the country.
- A
critical mass of IT talent is growing rapidly to make
St. Louis home to major high-tech companies.
- St.
Louis is one of the most affordable “big cities” in
the country.
- The
cooperation between businesses and universities/colleges
is a potentially strong asset.
- The
community college and technical school system is one
of the best in the country.
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At
the same time, it identifies some weaknesses that must
be shored up:
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- There
are not enough community college and technical school
graduates to meet present and future needs.
- There
are shortages in precision production occupations,
computer analysts and programmers, and health care
professionals.
- Wages
are generally higher than most competitors, except
Chicago.
- There
is concern about the availability of engineering-related
positions.
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The Paragon report makes some recommendations to enhance the
region’s work force competitiveness.
“The ability to both keep and recruit qualified workers is critical
to the growth of businesses seeking to expand or move into the
St. Louis region,” the analysis concludes.
“While the report is a positive beginning, the region should
use the analysis to bolster our position with respect to other
regions, so that we remain competitive,” says Dick Fleming,
president & CEO of the RCGA.
In fact, many of the recommendations offered by Paragon are
already part of the goals incorporated in the region’s work
force development plan. “We’re on the right track, but we need
to step up to a number of significant challenges and opportunities,”
Fleming concludes.
