Iowa BIG benefits Corridor businesses, quality of life

As part of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance's work with existing industry, we complete more than 300 company visits annually. For the past several years, the same issue kept rising to the top in terms of barriers to growth for industries - workforce availability.

After significant review of workforce data, as well as studying current job growth numbers, the Economic Alliance launched a two-year Workforce Recruitment Campaign in January.

This campaign is driven by the overwhelming need for talent that local businesses and organizations are experiencing. The message from our members, small and large, is the need for talent continually challenges them as they try to grow their business in Iowa's Creative Corridor.

We have three goals: attract, connect and keep, and Iowa BIG is an important player in our overall economic development strategy.

ATTRACT:

As part of the campaign, the Economic Alliance promotes BIG when recruiting talent to the region. BIG provides the region with additional educational opportunities within the K-12 system, adding to the Creative Corridor's amenities.

CONNECT:

BIG provides an avenue for our industries to become more involved with the education system in the Creative Corridor. Both education and industry have been exploring ways to better collaborate, and BIG provides a model business owners can understand and get excited about.

KEEP:

BIG offers families a choice in how their students learn core content. It provides additional skills that develop student employability, communication and networking skills. Educational options are necessary for students to be successful. BIG creates a connection to business and industry that was not there before.

Being able to connect projects, especially those projects heavily based around STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) initiatives, helps build the pipeline our employers need if they are going to grow their businesses.

Advanced manufacturing, bioprocessing and food processing are the lifeblood of our Metropolitan Statistical Area. The impact BIG makes on breaking down perception barriers is key to getting our youth excited about these industries and, maybe more importantly, helping parents understand changes in these industries.

We have an aging population. Ages 24 to 45 in our workforce have declined steadily over the past 10 years, and school enrollment numbers are projected to decline over the next decade.

We need to keep every student in the area to see our existing companies grow and be able to attract new companies; showing them the opportunities to build a life and career in the Creative Corridor.

' Allison Antes is a workforce strategist with the Economic Alliance. Comments: aantes@cedarrapids.org