Work-force issues top challenges for Springfield chamber

Our country, our state and, yes, Springfield,will be affected by the recession in the coming year. However, our insulation against significant economic downturn will be the diversity of our ec-onomic base.

Some areas of the country depend heavily on one business segment: Silicon Valley and its technology-based companies; Detroit and the auto industry. Springfield, on the other hand, is fortunate to be home to a variety of companies and industries, from health care to heavy manufacturing to service, and much more.

The recession no doubt will affect us, but we will likely feel the effects later and, consequently, climb out of it a little later than other parts of the country.

In the Springfield area, we will continue to address the challenge of work-force development as employers seek quality employees for skilled jobs. A labor survey commissioned in July by the chamber's Ozarks Regional Economic Part-nership showed our work force has high levels of both education and skills. But businesses will seek ways to improve those skill levels, retain these quality employees and attract more of the same to our area. Chamber members are saying that work force continues to be challenge No.1.

In 2002, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce will help businesses ad-dress the challenge of work-force availability. One way is to reach out to residents not currently in the work force, such as retirees and stay-at-home parents. These potential employees could be matched with unique employment op-portunities such as part-time, flexible scheduling, weekend only, job sharing, etc.

The cities, counties and chambers that belong to the Ozarks Regional Economic Partnership will find in the year 2002 even more ways to share the load and address issues as a region, rather than as individual entities. At the partnership's fall meeting, participants were asked, "What two elements are most critical to economic prosperity for this region?" The answers: infrastructure, including telecommunications, and work force, with an emphasis on education. Through the partnership, local organizations can be part of a comprehensive approach to regional economic development. That will include marketing our region to new businesses and thereby creating new jobs.

Health care and higher education are two of our region's tremendous assets. Our regional partners will be formulating a strategy this year for development of a life sciences/biotechnology industry cluster. This effort will capitalize on our strengths in health care and higher education, and draw on two additional as-sets: a strong agricultural base and a favorable natural environment that lend themselves to research in the life sciences. Again, the outstanding education and skill levels of our labor force would support these opportunities and in fact spill over into activities related to ad-vanced manufacturing.

Springfield's second industrial park, Partnership Industrial Center West, will see its first tenants open shop this year. The 400-plus acre development will mean quality manufacturing jobs and new capital investment for the Spring-field region for the next 10 to 15 years.

The education of our young people is key to the success of our economy. That's why the chamber again will be active in the election of Springfield school board members, endorsing candidates and helping them in their campaigns in the April election.

We'll be watching closely as Jordan Valley Park takes form in 2002. Walking trails, a water feature and the ice park will draw residents of the city and be-yond to downtown Springfield. It will be exciting to observe the baseball stadium, arena and exposition center take form.

Transportation will continue as a priority for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in 2002. Residents throughout the region will celebrate when the U.S. Hwy. 65 and Sunshine Street interchange is completed in late 2002 one year ahead of schedule! The cooperation between the Missouri Department of Transportation and the city of Spring-field makes this and other projects possible. A new 7,800-foot runway at Spring-field-Branson Regional Airport will be under construction this year. Its completion will have a positive impact on our tourism industry in particular, and on our economy in general.

The chamber will continue to be the area's principal advocate for business, promoting the economic health of the region, stimulating jobs and improving the quality of life all in partnership with the community.

(Jim Anderson is the president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Com-merce.)