Beyond Numbers: Growing the Workforce in Mahaska County
Joe Collins of the Iowa Department of Education talks about resources available to area HR representatives during the Mahaska County Workforce Summit on Tuesday. Photo: Hailey Brown
By Hailey Brown
(Oskaloosa, Iowa) – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates in Iowa are as low as they’ve been since 2000, hitting 2.8% as of December 2017. However, as unemployment rates continue to shrink, there is a growing need for committed, quality employees in the workforce. To better understand this need, the Oskaloosa Area Chamber & Development Group sent out invitations for the Mahaska County Workforce Summit, held Tuesday, May 22 at the Oskaloosa Public Library.
Human resources representatives from the following manufacturing companies were present for the round-table style discussion, led by Joe Collins from the Iowa Department of Education and Rich Kennedy from Iowa Workforce Development: Clow Valve Company, Musco Sports Lighting, Oskaloosa Engineering & Manufacturing, Interpower, Oskaloosa Food Products, Mahaska Health Partnership, Ajinomoto, and Puris.
“The Workforce Summit in Mahaska County was an opportunity for businesses to voice their thoughts on workforce issues and talk about their experiences as HR professionals in the area,” explained Deann DeGroot, OACDG General Manager, and Mahaska County Agricultural & Rural Development Director. “The purpose of the workforce summit was to facilitate conversation that would lead to solutions for area workforce issues.”
Representatives talked about common struggles they face, including a lack of adequate housing in the community, competition from bigger companies for employee benefits/pay, filling critical roles, retainment, and (for many companies) the upcoming retirement of a number of employees. Representatives also discussed the types of skills they’re looking for in applicants, as well as how they’ve been best served by community partnerships. For example, many representatives said internships and apprenticeships have made a positive impact on workforce development at their company.
As the discussion took form, representatives from Oskaloosa High School, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Schools, Indian Hills Community College, William Penn University, as well as area workforce/economic development staff listened and took notes. Now that the summit is over, the intent is that these representatives will take information back to their organizations to brainstorm unique solutions for some of the workforce issues brought to the table.
“Mahaska Community Development Group, led by director Tom Flaherty, will be following up to the businesses as we continue to work on the workforce in Mahaska County,” said DeGroot.
Flaherty, who also attended the event, concluded by suggesting that he’d like the group to “touch base” quarterly with the businesses to address obstacles, barriers, and solutions to workforce development.
