Building Tomorrow’s Workforce: Drury University’s Strategic Vision for Regional Growth (Sponsored Content)

As Springfield and the Ozarks look toward the next three to five years, higher education institutions are positioning themselves as critical partners in workforce development and economic growth. Dr. Jeff Frederick, President of Drury University, remains optimistic about the role universities will play in shaping the region’s economic future, particularly as the pace of change accelerates across all industries.

“It’s an information and skill-based economy, and people have to be able to do practical things, and they have to be able to do functional things,” Frederick explains. “When people hire them, they need them to be able to get up to speed pretty quickly.”

But Frederick sees a fundamental shift in what employers need. The traditional model of preparing students for a single career path no longer meets market demands. This reality, Frederick argues, makes liberal arts education more relevant than ever. Drury’s approach, which requires students to complete a major, minor, and certificate, creates graduates with diverse skill sets who can pivot as industries evolve.

“We are preparing you for your first job, but also for your 10th job because you’re going to walk out of here knowing how to have a conversation, knowing how to be personal in an impersonal world,” Frederick says. “These interpersonal skills, combined with technical competencies, position graduates to thrive in an increasingly automated workplace where human connection becomes a competitive advantage.”

Drury has taken what Frederick calls a “doubled down on our backyard” approach, focusing intensively on Springfield’s specific workforce needs. The university has launched new programs in engineering, health administration, nonprofit leadership, and education leadership in direct response to community input.

“We have tried to make sure that we are standing up programs that are relevant, particularly to Springfield,” Frederick explains. The university also created a skills transcript after employers asked, “I know what you studied. You can give me a transcript and tell me what your grades are, but what can you do?”

This document connects coursework directly to market-based skills, translating academic achievements into practical capabilities employers can immediately understand.

The Drury Springfield Promise Enrollment Initiative further demonstrates this local commitment, making Drury education accessible to students who “really wanted a Drury style education but never thought it was affordable.”

Frederick sees a direct connection between educating local students and building a sustainable regional workforce. When universities recruit students from within the Ozarks, “they’re going to be educated here in a place that values those same things. They’re going to interact with community partners as a part of their education. They’re going to hopefully have a job waiting for them with one of our community partners right here in the area,” he explains. “They’re going to stay here, they’re going to raise their families here. They’re going to give back to the community.”

Beyond preparing employees for existing companies, Frederick emphasizes the region’s need for entrepreneurial thinkers who can identify market gaps and launch new ventures. “The majority of business in this country is still small business, and it’s people who connect with a local marketplace that solve a local problem,” he notes.

Drury’s educational model aims to equip students with both the skills to succeed in established organizations and “the courage and the fortitude and the creativity and the spirit to say, I can do this better. I’ve identified a hole in the market, and I think if I fill it, I can do something meaningful for myself, for my family, but also for the community.”

“Every geographic region needs that mixture of entrepreneurs and other folks who keep the wheels of industry turning,” Frederick concludes.

As the Ozarks looks ahead, Frederick sees the partnership between higher education and the business community positioned to drive sustained economic growth by one skilled, adaptable graduate at a time.

This content is paid advertising by Drury University.