Governor Parson to speak at MU Extension Workforce Summit

Missouri Governor Mike Parson
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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will speak at the Oct. 26 University of Missouri Extension Workforce Summit in Ashland. The summit will highlight Ashland’s Central Missouri Workforce Development Center, a community-led initiative designed to create a pipeline of skilled workers for the area. Parson will be introduced by MU Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement Marshall Stewart.

The free event is 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the Southern Boone Area YMCA in Ashland.

The Southern Boone County R-1 School District, the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission, the City of Ashland, and Ranken Technical College are collaborating to create a center that will train high school students and adult learners to help meet the region’s need for technically skilled workers. The project has received a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to construct the training center. Additional funding is being raised through a $3 million capital campaign called Investing in Tomorrow’s Workforce.

At the summit, project partners will outline how the city and the school district identified workforce needs, engaged with the community, formed strategic collaborations to address those needs, and are now raising funds to build a training center with a curriculum focusing on medical technology, construction trades, and information technology.

The event is hosted by MU Extension’s Labor and Workforce Development Program. “Like previous summits in Joplin and Houston, the Ashland summit is an opportunity for people to learn about community-based workforce initiatives and how communities can work together to move workforce development forward,” said Amy Patillo, an MU Extension labor and workforce development specialist based in Springfield.

“Workforce Summits are learning laboratories for homegrown workforce development solutions,” added Matt Pezold, an MU Extension labor and workforce development specialist based in Kansas City.

The event is free, but registration to attend in person is limited to 90 people. Attendees can also participate via Zoom. To register, this link. Updated event information is available at this link.


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