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Businesses, schools reiterate importance of workforce development

Businesses, schools reiterate importance of workforce development Chamber staff recently brought State Speaker of the House Todd Richardson to the Chamber offices to talk with business and education leaders about workforce development and education issues, and the speaker heard about the continued challenges those leaders face. Richardson visited the Chamber on October 10 to kick…

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Chamber’s education attainment initiatives get financial boost

Chamber’s education attainment initiatives get financial boost The Chamber continues growing its efforts in workforce development, and national organizations are recognizing our efforts. Chamber officials learned on July 18 that ours was one of six organizations in the country to receive the 2016-17 ACCE Award for Education Attainment, given out by the Association of Chamber…

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A carnival for young professionals

A carnival for young professionals Stilt walkers, jugglers and musicians. Oh my. When The Network – the Chamber’s young professionals group – gathered June 3 to celebrate the year’s accomplishments, they were in for quite a party. In previous years, the annual event has consisted of a weekday luncheon at a hotel or a conference…

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Bringing the best, brightest to Springfield

Bringing the best, brightest to Springfield When the Chamber added workforce development as its fourth strategic area of focus a year and a half ago, we were answering a need. As part of our Existing Business Support Program, we asked businesses about their most pressing concerns, and one issue consistently topped the list: workforce. But as…

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Teacher externship program gears up for Year Two

Teacher externship program gears up for Year Two Teachers have a difficult job preparing students for the working world that awaits them after graduation. It’s a combination of making students aware of the opportunities available and teaching the skills they need to take advantage of those opportunities. But to do that, teachers need to know…

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Employee education: What’s it worth?

Employee education: What’s it worth? In their quest to attract and retain talented employees, companies consider many options. One getting increased attention is support for education and professional development. That was the focus of a special session of the Chamber’s “60 Minutes to Success” educational series on March 29. The session, “Supporting Education Attainment,” included…

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Our best intel comes from existing businesses

Our best intel comes from existing businesses Identifying business trends can be deceptively tricky. Who can provide the best insight? Who has the most reliable information? In its economic development work, Chamber staff decided to go to the source: CEOs and top business executives who spend each work day creating new possibilities, analyzing the bottom…

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How The Network gives young professionals an edge

How The Network gives young professionals an edge Workforce issues continue to dominate our business community’s conversations and while much attention is paid to growing talent through the public school system and attracting experienced professionals to the region, there is a third way. In its work to meet workforce needs, the Chamber is also focusing…

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Businesses open for career exploration

Businesses open for career exploration True workforce development starts early. On graduation day, those students who have had the chance to explore career options as high school juniors and seniors are more likely to succeed as they embark on next steps. Launched just this year, GO CAPS (Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies) gives…

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GO CAPS students kick off the school year

GO CAPS students kick off the school year More than 250 students, parents and business partners flooded rooms at CoxHealth, the eFactory and Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation for the orientation and launch of the Greater Ozarks Centers for Advanced Professional Studies last week. “We’re working to prepare you for jobs that don’t even exist yet—jobs that…

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