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SBJ Economic Growth Survey: Sharpening the Tools

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Before the 2022 school year started for Springfield Public Schools, the district announced a staffing shortage for both educators and support staff. Penmac Staffing Services Inc. CEO Tim Massey says it’s not just a regional shortage but also statewide.

He’s seen it in the hiring trends at Penmac but also in his family. Massey cites his niece, Samantha, who taught for two years in Kansas City and Blue Springs until this school year.

“She loved teaching, but at the same time she felt it was tough to make ends meet,” Massey says, noting she left the education sector for a position with a global firm that offered substantial pay increases and remote working opportunities. “The hiring environment makes it tough to attract and retain employees. And we are seeing the demand for teachers continually increase.”

Business leaders in Springfield Business Journal’s 2022 Economic Growth Survey indicated access to skilled workers has worsened in the past year, just behind the cost of doing business. In addition, they responded that a skilled workforce and strong talent acquisition are two top priorities for businesses over the next five years.

In the education sector, Massey says he is seeing more school districts contracting through substitute services such as the one Penmac offers. Penmac’s Education Staffing comprises over 1,700 active individuals serving the Springfield school district, as well as Republic, Willard, Clever, Marshfield, Spokane, Fair Grove and Logan-Rogersville.

“Districts are getting creative but can be limited by financial constraints to be as effective as needed,” Massey says, in regard to filling staffing needs.

One way Missouri school districts are addressing the staffing shortage long term is through online workforce development programs. Launch Missouri’s Workforce, a partnership between SPS and the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, is a free online program for 9th-12th graders.

Nichole Lemmon, director of virtual learning and strategic planning for Launch, is excited about the workforce pathways students can take to guide them directly into a career. “Our goal is exposure to career opportunities,” Lemmon says, noting students enrolled in the teaching-as-a-profession pathway can go directly to work after graduation, with them having a professional certificate and a job. “They’re not just learning about the career, but getting exposure and learning about the path forward.”

In the short term, Massey says Penmac’s staffing solutions try to alleviate some of the stresses that school districts face with shortages.

“I am seeing administrators do everything they can within the parameters that they are given. The struggle is a part of the daily lives of administrators, and our goal is to try to eliminate as much of the stress on our partner districts as possible,” he says, adding that substitutes are just a small part of the school districts’ needs. “We are seeing more schools contract with staffing services for assistance not only with substitutes, but with other areas as well that may be noncertified positions.”

Penmac casts a wide net to recruit qualified candidates for the school districts it serves.

“We utilize digital platforms to assist in pulling from job boards, such as Indeed,” Massey says, also citing Penmac’s substantial investments in software including programmatic job ads, engagement platforms, chat technology and virtual-based applications.

However, he says those technologies support a tried and true approach, which includes a strong referral bonus structure for staff.

“Our most effective method is our grassroots approach which starts with colleges, retirees and education organizations,” Massey says.

This content is brought to you by Penmac Staffing Services Inc.

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