State agencies begin workforce strategic planning

The Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education and the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development began a strategic planning process last week aimed at creating a mission statement, goals and strategies for the department.

The process, which includes input from partners and stakeholders associated with workforce development, also includes identifying a list of high impact best practices for implementation starting early next year.

"We're taking a hard look at where Missouri stands nationally, in comparison to our Midwestern peers, and some of the changes we've seen during COVID-19," said Zora Mulligan, Missouri's commissioner of higher education. "The data (we gather) will drive conversations about opportunities to help more Missourians get the skills and education they need to be successful in the workplace."

Last week's kickoff meeting included a review of Missouri's overall higher education and workforce landscape, including strengths, weaknesses/threats, and opportunities with a goal of adding more people to the workforce with the skills and training required for them to be productive.

The Department of Higher Education & Workforce's current strategic plan, "Preparing Missourians to Succeed: A Blueprint for Higher Education," was adopted in 2015. The department's new strategic plan will be presented to the coordinating board for approval in December.

More information is available at https://dhewd.mo.gov/strategicplan.php.

Looking for more business news? Check out B Magazine, and the B Magazine email newsletter. Go to www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.