Delta Regional chief seeks to revamp job training

Tens of thousands of jobs are coming back to Missouri. At least that's what Chris Masingill, federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, said.

"The economy is getting stronger; investors grew more in 2013 than they did in the last 10 to 15 years," Masingill said.

With that growth, there is going to be a demand for more workers, which Masingill said is something it wants to prepare area schools for.

The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership that supports job creation by providing grants for residents in parts of eight states along the Mississippi River. These states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

The Delta Regional Authority wants to meet with the region's educators, businesses and industry to plan the career skills children will need when they enter the workforce. Masingill said that conversation needs to start early.

For children to develop an interest in business and manufacturing, they need to understand the possibilities in those fields. Masingill said the prime time for that learning is junior high. So, he said working with educators is necessary to see a growth in young adults coming into the workforce prepared.

When some workers are ready to enter the workforce, Masingill said there sometimes are no jobs available for them. Masingill hopes to alleviate that by getting businesses involved.

"[We[']re going to] elevate and bring business and industry to the table to deal with what business and industry need right now," he said.

What these businesses need is experienced workers who are knowledgeable in their fields, willing to expanding what they know and add credentials to their resume.

Masingill said what people could do with a high school degree 20 years ago, they couldn't do now. What people are looking for is a career-readiness certificate. The certificate allows employers to hire workers quickly and continue training them as their job and the economy changes, which Masingill said it will do.

More job positions are shying away from a four-year degree, Masingill said, as in the future only 23 percent to 28 percent of major manufacturing jobs will need such education. With the necessary training, employees in these fields will have high-skilled jobs paying about $65,000 a year.

But Masingill said the drive students need for that training should be met with as much enthusiasm as what is given toward traditional four-year learning, which Masingill said the Delta Regional Authority is going to support.

The Delta Regional Authority received $1.7 million for a technical assistance and capacity building program, it website said.

The authority's next meeting is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

smaue@semissourian.com

388-3644