Kosciusko and Attala County may garner vital information in their efforts to draw business to the area if the region participates in a workforce study planned by the Central Electric Power Association (CEPA).
The Attala County Board of Supervisors, the Kosciusko Attala Partnership, Kosciusko Water and Light and the Kosciusko Board of Alderman have signed on to each contribute one quarter of the $12,000 it will cost for the area to participate in the study to be conducted by Younger Associates.
“We like to think we know ourselves, but when we bring someone in from outside, we learn some things,” Kosciusko Attala Partnership CEO Kel McDowell told the Attala County Board of Supervisors Monday.
“We’re rallying the greater region to make this study happen. We don’t want to get left behind. Workforce is the most important component” for business growth in the area, he said.
This particular study will not rely only on general statistical data already available about central Mississippi’s workforce.
“This puts boots on the ground. They will look for certain populations that may not have been captured by more general statistic gathering,” said McDowell.
Younger Associates, the Jackson firm contracted to do the studies by CEPA, collects primary data through in-person interviews with a selection of the local workforce.
According to their website, Younger Associates will do the following for all participating communities and counties at the study’s completion:
Document the current strengths and weaknesses of the workforce
Quantify labor supply and quality
Quantify hidden labor resources, displaced worker pool
Identify unmet training needs
Define emerging employment trends and economic opportunities
Identify roles, programs and areas of specialized research for higher education
Provide a vision that allows K-12 educators to address workforce needs and trends, particularly those that relate to the area’s economic development targets
Assist existing businesses in finding qualified workers
Help workforce agencies match workers with jobs and training programs
Guide training providers in preparing the workforce for existing and emerging employment opportunities
Provide the right information for prospects and site consultants
The intention is for the analysis to help communities take action to transition the available workforce toward the emerging economy requiring higher-level skills. Over time, communities can use the information made available through the study to develop the workforce they need to foster the kind of economic growth that it wishes to develop.
For the regional view, both national and state benchmarking information will be compiled alongside the local data. Interviews will be conducted with employers and other focus groups that interact with the area workforce.
“I think it’s going to be a plus for the whole county,” said Kary Ellington, Attala County Board of Supervisors chairman, following the vote.
