Summit to release work force research findings

The first Workforce Summit of Southwest Missouri will take place July 27 and will “debut new research and work force improvement strategies for business executives and leaders,” according to a news release.

“The idea is that we can better serve our job-seekers by first working with businesses,” said Jasen Jones, executive director of the Workforce Investment Board of the Southwest Region. “It’s an outreach effort to get leaders and local elected officials to talk about workforce issues with the approach of business being our top customer.”

The summit will feature keynote speaker Jack Stack of SRC Holdings Corp., who will discuss how to change the culture of a work force so that employees think and act like owners.

Other topics covered will include the findings of a study on the region’s gaps in work force skills and labor supply, and the results of a study on the behaviors and attitudes of the region’s employees toward unemployment and commuting.

The summit is 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Butchers Block Banquet Center near Missouri Highway 43 and Fountain Road in Joplin. The event is free to the public and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Missouri Division of Workforce Development. Registration information is available by calling Teresa Woodard at (417) 629-3000.

The Workforce Investment Board of the Southwest Region, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that works to develop the area’s workforce to improve the economy. The region of focus includes Barry, Barton, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald and Newton counties.