Preparing Today’s Workers for Tomorrow’s Tech in West Michigan

Sieberg: American jobs are increasingly driven by technology, with workers at all levels expected to have some level of digital skills. In manufacturing fields, one of the top industries in West Michigan, just 29% of workers have the advanced skills necessary to be most adaptable to changing technology. That's according to the National Skills Coalition. Hi, I'm Daniel Sieberg, and you're watching "Getting Connected," powered by Comcast Newsmakers. We're on location at the 2024 Skills Summit in Washington, D.C. And joining me to share efforts to increase access to digital equity is Angie Barksdale. She's the Chief Operating Officer at West Michigan Works! Angie, thank you so much for being here.

Barksdale: Thank you for having me.

Sieberg: So first, to help us understand what are the key industries in West Michigan, and how does West Michigan Works! work with them?

Barksdale: Absolutely. So West Michigan has a pretty diverse economy. We have identified five in-demand industries that we have wrapped around industry councils, employer-led industry councils, to identify truly what those employers are looking for. Those industries are manufacturing, which is broad, from office furniture to automotive manufacturing. We have a large healthcare industry, two major hospitals in Grand Rapids and research facilities. We have a construction industry as our communities are growing. We have a pretty robust agribusiness industry, everything from the farm to production to table, as well as a growing IT industry in West Michigan.

Sieberg: So all of those industries of course are changing and evolving with technology. What's it like when a job seeker literally comes to your office or offices and asks for help?

Barksdale: So we have eight service centers in our seven-county region, and we have staff on hand to assist individuals as they walk in. And many times individuals don't know what they're looking for. They come to us merely saying, I need a job, or I'm looking for a job. How do I get that? So our staff work with them one-on-one to identify what pathway they may want to go down, what occupation they're looking to get into, and then what do they need to do to get there. Does that require additional training? Does it require just basically beefing up the résumé and practicing your interview skills? And staff can help them along that journey. And in involving digital literacy, things like just basically applying for a job these days require somebody to be adept on a computer and be able to do that, just to apply.

Sieberg: Now, how does West Michigan Works! continue to evolve as the technologies are evolving, and you're providing these solutions amidst a changing landscape?

Barksdale: Yeah. So we have a pretty robust business solutions division that works closely with those industry councils. So, it's very important for us to know what the employers are looking for in their workforce. So working with them day in, day out, understanding the changing technology, what's coming down the pipeline, and assisting those employers in potentially finding additional training for their incumbent workers so that they can be prepared for the new technology. We then take that information and provide services, you know, and adjust our services for the job seekers walking into our service center. It is behooving us to make sure that those job seekers are doing — on the right pathway to be able to get the job when the day is done. So we have to know what those employers are looking for.

Sieberg: And what does this — what does success look like in this sort of two-sided marketplace, if you will? What does it look like from the employer's perspective, and from a job seeker's perspective?

Barksdale: Yeah, so ultimately it's a thriving economy in West Michigan is what we're looking for. And success to us is our employers are finding the talent that they need and being able to train as appropriate with their growing technology to meet their needs to stay productive, right? On the job seeker front, it's us being able to help individuals get to that self-sustaining employment so they can meet the needs of their family and them as an individual. And being able to adjust to whatever's coming down the pipeline, right, in the changing industries, in the changing work world. So it's helping them both get what they need when the day is done.

Sieberg: Angie Barksdale from West Michigan Works! Thank you so much for joining us.

Barksdale: Thank you so much for having me.

Sieberg: And thanks to you as well for watching. For more conversations about digital equity and broadband expansion, visit gettingconnected.com. I'm Daniel Sieberg.