Talent & Workforce

A story of personal growth, public involvement and a positive attitude As she reflected on a 25-plus-year career that’s still going strong, Sally Hargis had much to say about why she stays so involved in the community and how she works to keep a fresh, positive outlook. The chairman and vice president of corporate strategy…

Updating our efforts to draw professionals to Springfield The Chamber’s economic development arm, the SBDC, has managed the Talent Attraction Initiative (TAI) for more than three years. The program is a direct response to employers’ need for additional skilled workers to meet growth demands. TAI launched in January 2014 with LiveInSpringfieldMO.com, an eye-catching digital front…

Springfield’s Talent Attraction Initiative wins international award Companies continue to tell the Chamber and our economic development arm, the Springfield Business Development Corporation, about the need for additional skilled workers to meet the demands of growth. It’s why the Chamber officially added workforce development as a fourth strategic area of focus, and why the SBDC…

Young entrepreneurs share their experience Taking the plunge to start your own business takes courage, commitment and encouragement. So it’s not surprising that successful entrepreneurs often have interesting stories to tell and valuable advice to offer. The Network, the Chamber’s young professionals group, brought together three such storytellers at the Young Entrepreneur Panel, held August…

Empowering teachers (and students) through hands-on experiences It may be the summer, but for nearly 70 teachers in the Springfield area, late June and early July wasn’t a time for vacation – it was time for additional learning and teaching experiences. Educators from 15 area school districts participated in the third annual GO CAPS teacher…

Employee education benefits companies & workers As businesses continue to look for ways to address their biggest ongoing challenge – finding, developing and keeping quality, skilled employees – many are looking for ways to encourage employees to continue their education or add new training and certifications. Four such businesses shared their experiences on June 8…

Launching summer with a flashback Friday Nostalgia was on full display at Farmers Park June 9 as The Network for Young Professionals held its second annual Summer Fest. The 2017 edition, presented in conjunction with the City of Springfield, had a 90s theme, complete with throwback décor, themed food and drinks (can you say Pop…

Creating a culture of employee advancement Time and again, Chamber members – like employers of all stripes across the country – tell us that the biggest challenge they face is finding and keeping quality workers. The statistics bear it out: The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that two-thirds of jobs will require postsecondary education by…

Teaching teachers about opportunities for students If you ask most Chamber members about their current outlook for the future, optimism is high. Customers are ready to buy and companies are ready to grow. But if you ask those same companies to identify the biggest potential barrier to growth and optimism, the answer is almost unanimous:…

GO CAPS students set to show off their work The second crop of students participating in the GO CAPS program are preparing to show off the results of a year of hard work. More than 150 high school juniors and seniors from 11 area school districts will present projects on April 26 during the GO…