Structural changes in education, continued industrial diversification, and a commitment to constant skills development will enhance the region’s future competitiveness according to recommendations contained in a new report card released by the Gulf Coast Workforce Board.
The seventh edition of the regional Workforce Report Card compares the Gulf Coast to eight similarly situated regions areas to gauge performance on six key indicators: Macro economy & industry dynamics, labor force composition, educational achievement & investment, quality of life, and income, wealth & poverty. Houston and the Gulf Coast region rank right in the middle, according to the report card.
“To maintain a long-term competitive edge we need to focus on building a workforce nimble enough to leverage disruptions caused by continuing advances in technology, employer-driven talent development strategies aimed at adapting to a rapidly changing workplace, and building on our region’s existing strengths to diversify our industry base,” said Gulf Coast Workforce Board Chair Mark Guthrie.
Thursday, representatives from Bay area employers and school districts including Galveston met in League City to discuss the Report Card’s recommendations and how the Gulf Coast Workforce Board can support efforts to better prepare the local workforce. Dickinson ISD’s Director of Career & Technical Education, Melissa, Everett, said she would like to see more “decision makers” with area industries come to the table to discuss ways to partner CTE classes with real world work experience, either through apprenticeships or internships.
Kasi Bevel, CTE Coordinator at Clear Creek ISD, pointed out that “Certification is not a stopping point,” while discussing the Board’s recommendation that workforce participants need to constantly update and acquire new skills in order to stay competitive. Her point, she explained, is that a post-secondary certification or degree doesn’t mean a person is done learning new skills, whether that learning takes place within their career field our not. Viewed through this lens, the more-recent trend of “job hopping” is less a reflection of an individual worker and more a reflection of changes in the nature of work itself.
A copy of the Workforce Report Card 2019 can be obtained by clicking this link: www.wrksolutions.com/reportcard.
