Governor Dennis Daugaard says South Dakota needs to address workforce challenges if it’s going to remain open for business. He says there’s a gap between the people looking for work and the jobs available, and there needs to be more in-migration of new workers. Daugaard is presenting some possible solutions as outlined in the Governor’s Workforce Summits final report.
Governor Daugaard says everyone agrees that having enough people with the right skills is important. He says employers need more ways to access and support a workforce with needed skills, and students and job seekers need more accurate views of career opportunities. He also says educators are critical to developing workforce skills, and he says industry, education, and government need to collaborate to address these issues.
“So we can capitalize on the people we have here already, and make sure they’re finding out where the opportunities are, both in the academic pathways, and in the job markets afterwards,” Daugaard says. “And so we can effectively recruit and retain people who move here from other places where the situation isn’t as good.”
The workforce summit final report lays out possible strategies in three areas, including education, recruitment, and using common language and a unified agenda. Daugaard says at the state level, the Department of Labor plans to continue its current initiatives, as well as begin connecting jobs and job seekers using skills rather than job titles, and continue to partner with communities.
To view the final report, or to learn more about the workforce summits, click here.