Education & Workforce Development

Research shows that the early years are critical in children’s brain development and play a key role in their overall development and shape the adult they will become. Quality early learning programs are vital to preparing students for success in a 21st century workforce and sustaining a healthy and growing economy. The Chamber urges the Kansas Legislature to heed the impact of early childhood education and support and preserve adequate investments in high-quality early learning, including those that advance the development of the early education workforce. This includes support for:

• Measures and investments to preserve the Children’s Initiative Fund and Kansas Endowment for Youth.
• Increased investment in home visiting programs that serve young, at-risk children.
• Reducing barriers of accessibility for Pre-K programs for all Kansas students.

The KC Chamber has high expectations for our regional schools and public education systems and believes increased funding, rigorous student achievement standards, and local control are vital to Kansas City’s ability to compete in the knowledge-based global marketplace of the 21st century. We believe the measures and outcomes highlighted in the Kansans CAN initiative can play a significant role in advancing a well-educated population with technical skills and problem-solving abilities that are key to Kansas City’s capacity to innovate, grow, and compete. The KC Chamber calls on the Kansas Legislature to support:

• Policy to assure local authority and control including:
  • Curriculum development and decision-making ability.
  • Financial flexibility and local bonding authority.
  • Authority of elected school boards.
  • Right to request judicial review of state school finance provisions.
• Measures that support and encourage exemplary standards that reflect the knowledge and skills required of students in the existing and emerging sectors of the economy.
• Policy centered on empirically-based student outcomes targets such as those in the Kansans CAN vision for education.
• Policy that is not built on state mandates, scholarship tax credits, tax tuition credits, vouchers, and changes in local board elections including making school board elections partisan.
• Policy to encourage school districts to develop career pathways, internships and apprenticeships aligned to local workforce needs, including dedicated funding for career and technical center cooperatives and innovation centers.

The Chamber supports adequate funding and policies to keep Kansas higher education institutions competitive and affordable, help retain graduates and quality faculty in the state, and measures to support alternative postsecondary training options to provide the region and the state with the world class workforce necessary to meet the job demands of today and tomorrow. The Chamber takes the following positions:

• Support for full funding as requested by the Kansas Board of Regents for FY 2020 and FY 2021 to ensure Kansas businesses will have work-ready talent they need to succeed in this competitive economy.
• Support measures to stimulate career, technical, and trade education in the state including STEM education and workforce development initiatives designed to enhance the number of qualified employees available for critical jobs in the region.
• Support policy to enable high school students to gain college credit and/or postsecondary certifications and training at any public and not-for-profit institutions in the Kansas City area that offer appropriate programming to support their career interests.
• Support efforts to retain the autonomy of the Kansas Board of Regents and local control for the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees.

Kansas City’s economic success depends on providing an educated and ready workforce to fill the needs in our community in order to attract new employers to the region. At a time of record-low unemployment and noted skills gap, there is a desperate need for qualified workers among area employers. The Chamber supports policies to reduce barriers to employment and encourage participation in the regional workforce. Policies should foster economic growth and expansion of opportunities for retraining and reentry programs for all workers. The KC Chamber wants to see the greater Kansas City region as a hub for attracting world-class talent. The Chamber takes the following positions:

• Support state funding for programs that help increase workplace readiness, adult education, and workforce certification programs, including workforce training and re-entry programs for individuals in the criminal justice system and incentives for appropriate businesses to hire those with a criminal background.
• Support state funding for programs that help increase workplace readiness, adult education, and workforce certification programs.
• Support expansion of registered apprenticeship programming and allow for state funded workforce dollars to be used for long-term, mastery objective training
• Support greater transparency and partnership on workforce development programs between the Department of Commerce, Department of Labor, and Department of Education.
• Support measures to expand bistate training, certification and credentialing opportunities.

Research shows that the early years are critical in children’s brain development, play a key role in their overall development and shape the adult they will become. Quality early learning programs are vital to preparing students for success in a 21st century workforce and sustaining a healthy and growing economy. The Chamber urges the Missouri General Assembly to heed the impact of early childhood education and support and preserve adequate investments in high-quality early learning, including those that advance the development of the early education workforce. This includes support for:

• Increased investment in home visiting programs that serve young, at-risk children.
• Reducing barriers of accessibility for Pre-K programs for all Missouri students.

The KC Chamber has high expectations for our regional schools and public education systems and believes increased funding, rigorous student achievement standards, and local control are vital to Kansas City’s ability to compete in the knowledge-based global marketplace of the 21st century. We believe a high quality and accessible K-12 public education plays a significant role in advancing a well-educated population with technical skills and problem-solving abilities that are key to Kansas City’s capacity to innovate, grow, and compete. The KC Chamber calls on the Missouri General Assembly to support:

• Policy to assure local authority and control including:
  • Curriculum development and policy decision-making ability
  • Financial flexibility and local bonding authority
  • Authority of elected school boards
• Support legislation that mandates standards, accreditation, accountability and transparency criteria for all publicly funded schools.
• Support fully funding the Foundation Formula and prioritize the closure of the current transportation shortfall.
• Support school districts to develop career pathways, internships and apprenticeships aligned to local workforce needs, including dedicated funding for career and technical center cooperatives and innovation centers.

The KC Chamber supports adequate funding and measures to keep Missouri higher education institutions competitive and affordable, help retain graduates and faculty in the state, and provide the region and the state with the world-class workforce necessary to compete in the knowledge economy. The Chamber takes the following positions:

• Support core appropriations requests for the University of Missouri, UMKC, and Metropolitan Community College system; as well as target investments in new assets including a new UMKC Music Conservatory and the MU Translational Precision Medicine Campus.
• Support efforts by the University of Missouri to ensure it retains its status as an AAU university.
• Support programs focused on improving workforce development and efforts to streamline and update job training programs with adequate state funding.
• Support appropriate funding of Access Missouri and the Missouri A+ Schools Program to ensure that all eligible students can receive meaningful tuition support.

Kansas City’s economic success depends on providing an educated and ready workforce to fill the needs in our community in order to attract new employers to the region. At a time of record-low unemployment and noted skills gap, there is a desperate need for qualified workers among area employers. The Chamber supports policies to reduce barriers to employment and encourage participation in the regional workforce. Policies should foster economic growth and expansion of opportunities for retraining and reentry programs for all workers. The KC Chamber wants to see the greater Kansas City region as a hub for attracting world-class talent. The Chamber takes the following positions:

• Support state funding for programs that help increase workplace readiness, adult education, and workforce certification programs, including workforce training and re-entry programs for individuals in the criminal justice system and incentives for appropriate businesses to hire those with a criminal background.
• Support appropriate investment and early access to A+ funding for qualifying students enrolled in dual credit/dual enrollment courses while in high school.
• Support expansion of registered apprenticeship programing and allow for state funded workforce dollars to be used for long term, mastery objective training.
• Support measures to expand bistate training, certification and credentialing opportunities.

KC area businesses report one of the greatest challenges they face is the global race for talent. Skilled workers are the backbone of a productive and efficient economy, and a critical decision point in today’s business location decisions. In the knowledge-based global marketplace of the 21st century, a well-educated population with technical skills and problem-solving abilities is key to Kansas City’s ability to innovate, grow, and compete. The Chamber calls on Congress to support policies and funding to encourage a robust PK-20 public

The KC Chamber supports policies and funding to encourage a robust PK-20 public education system emphasizing pursuit of exemplary education including appropriate technical training and a rigorous science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum based on globally competitive standards and fostering a well-trained, productive, competitive workforce. The Chamber calls for: 

• Local control of education systems. (The Chamber opposes efforts to reduce federal education investment based on state funding and tuition levels and policies that support or incentivize K-12 scholarship tax credits, tax tuition credits, vouchers and similar measures). 
• Policies to encourage collaboration between superintendents and government officials as education policy is developed.
• Maintaining formula funding for Title I as opposed to a competitive grant model.
• Investment in early learning programs including Head Start, Early Head Start, and the Child Care Development Block Grant to allow assistance to an increased number of eligible children/families.
• Full funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).
• Programs to keep higher education accessible and affordable by maintaining funding for need-based student aid programs, including maximum level funding for year-long Pell Grants and other federal student aid programs, and increased federal investments to serve students seeking in-demand, non-credit credentials.
• Preservation and improvement of higher education tax incentives. 
• Efforts to encourage workforce development including increased funding for Graduate Medical Education (GME) to address the impending physician shortage and continued financial support of the Public Health Services Act (PHSA) which supports education and training for health care workers.

Creating a competitive workforce involves “cradle thru career” strategies to strengthen the workforce pipeline, retool the incumbent workforce, and access an international talent pool. The Chamber supports:

• Policies that promote labor productivity, provide job training skills, and encourage more citizens to enter or re-enter the workforce, including full funding for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
• Increased investment in secondary level technical education, adult education, and English as a second language.
• Efforts to improve integration of secondary and post-secondary programs including promotion of increased dual credit opportunities.