The state of a community’s workforce is essential to the local economy. A workforce needs to have diverse skills and backgrounds to sustain job retention and growth. Education plays a crucial part in this by giving people the chance to learn new skills and become more qualified.
What are the ways educational attainment impacts local workforces? As Forward Wayne County continues to focus on Education Attainment, read below to find out and learn more about some of the work happening right here locally.
Improving and Enhancing Employability
Educational attainment can help improve someone’s employability. This is vital in today’s workforce, as several jobs require some sort of education, whether from a traditional university or trade school.
Having that background gives someone the experience they need to meet the basic qualifications of a job. In fact, several studies have indicated someone with a degree is half as likely to be unemployed than a person who only has a high school diploma.
Pursuing continuing education in any format will open doors and give people more opportunities to succeed. We will go more in-depth into Wayne County’s educational sector later in the blog.
A Stronger Workforce
Simply put, educational attainment makes a workforce stronger and more robust. This is needed within any successful local economy. Businesses require talented professionals to deliver results.
Additionally, education plays a part in skill alignment, where the workforce has the skills to meet an employer’s needs. For example, trade schools expose students to a curriculum that will reflect their chosen workplace.
There is also the potential for new investment as employers pay attention to the state of a community’s workforce. Having a robust pool of talent can create economic development activities like new businesses and higher-paying jobs.
A collaborative effort between Liberation Labs and Ivy Tech demonstrates this idea. Both parties are developing a new biomanufacturing training program that will help give Liberation Labs an immediately available and trained pool of talent.
Retaining Local Talent
Talent retention is an ongoing challenge for smaller communities. For several years many professionals have relocated to larger cities. This trend creates a problem as it makes it harder to sustain a local workforce without available talent.
Keeping education local helps combat this issue. Universities can play a role in introducing and exposing students to the community. That may look like internships with area employers or encouraging them to attend events. It helps give them a feeling of community and empowers them to begin their careers in Wayne County.
Apprenticeship programs are also effective drivers for retaining talent. Students have a place to learn and grow through an employer. In most cases, apprenticeships lead to a job within the sponsoring company. It is a win-win solution for both parties. Two prominent programs in Wayne County are offered through Nixon Tool and Ahaus Tool & Engineering.
Individual Impacts
Social mobility is the idea that people can move up the socioeconomic scale. Education helps promote this idea. For some, it is a gateway to escaping situations like poverty. It can help them find the career that will transform their lives. Various studies have indicated people’s earnings exponentially increase if they have a degree.
Obtaining a degree or certification may also inspire individual innovation and entrepreneurship. It ensures new business ideas are generated within the community. Many successful companies and small businesses were born out of that mentality.
Wayne County’s Education Sector
Residents of Wayne County are well-positioned for educational attainment through a variety of organizations and resources. It is one of the community’s best assets.
Wayne County is home to five higher educational institutions: IU East, Earlham College, Ivy Tech, Purdue Polytechnic, and Bethany Theological Seminary. Each one offers students a plethora of degree programs to meet their academic and professional goals.
Job training and apprenticeships are also readily available through degree programs and local businesses. Area high schoolers have this option through the Whitewater Career Center, Richmond Area Career Center, and Lincoln Golden Eagle Industries.
Educational attainment is a central piece of a community’s workforce. Retaining talent and allowing people to learn will only help sustain it. If you are looking for educational opportunities understand they are present here in Wayne County. On the other hand, if you are an employer never hesitate to offer those options to learn and grow.
Be sure to visit the Educational Attainment page on the Forward Wayne County website to learn more about how we are moving the needle on education.
