Latest / Rick Outzen: (we don’t) color on the dog / Building the Workforce for the Future
Transcript
- Rick Outzen: Welcome back. I'm Rick Altson. This is Rick's blog live. Jobs, jobs, jobs. mayor had a workforce summit just a couple weeks ago, brought brought in all the major players along the Gulf Coast, primarily on how are we going to find trained, skilled workers for ST for shipbuilding. Burdan, American Magic, of course there are a lot of other businesses along the Gulf Coast ⁓ that need skilled Landrum has been providing workers. for ye for decades. They they put out a press release this week about it's a shared responsibility in building the type of workforce that we want to have. We're very fortunate we've got Jim Howe ⁓ Landrum, Vice President of Workforce Solutions. ⁓ you. ⁓ when you think about the responsibility of building a workforce, what what's role that Landrum can play in Jim Howe: Thanks so much. Yeah, so I think there's a there's a couple different roles, first of all, we play on a very micro level. certainly it's it's in our DNA to help companies solve people problems. So, you know, we definitely play a part in in doing that and helping companies. but on the on a broader, on a macro scale, it's really about being a connector ⁓ of resources our area. So it's you supporting economic development and their initiatives to bring new business to our area. It's working with education partners to develop the right programs and training. and certification process for individuals. working with private industry and with government to kind of get all those pieces unified working in the same direction ⁓ to look at the long term goal ⁓ of do we continue to not only the workforce we need today, but the workforce for tomorrow because we also know ⁓ workforce needs changing and what companies need from an individual ⁓ is vastly from what it was five or ten years ago even. ⁓ so it's really trying to stay connected in all those different areas and to be a conduit to have conversation. development is it's it's not an easy problem to solve. it it has to work hand in hand with economic development so that we're attracting new opportunities to our area, we're creating the workforce behind it to support that and to initiate growth. Rick Outzen: Landjum Biol are you know you're a huge company in a lot of different communities. What communities are doing it well? Jim Howe: Well, I think everybody's trying. Right. You know, I I I think ⁓ Rick Outzen: Well what happens so often though, Jim, is that we we break the ground on the building, think about the workforce until the building's finished and we're already behind by this Jim Howe: A little bit. little bit. Sometimes. Sometimes. You I'll I'll you know, but just you know, we we've talked with the the folks from Burdon and think they're doing it right. They've already started kind of their talent development pipeline. think that, you know, each organization really has to be incumbent upon themselves to develop ⁓ talent acquisition strategy that makes sense for them. And there's a lot of different things that can go into talent acquisition. It's not always from new, but it's also attracting talent to our area that maybe we don't have today, but as we build the Capability of supporting that in the future. those are all part of the the workforce development platform that we kind of operate in. ⁓ You know, we do work across a lot of the Southeast. you know, we're heavily invested right now in the upstate ⁓ of South Carolina. We see a of similarities from a growth standpoint as we do here in in the Pensacola and the in the panhandle of Florida. And and I think is a common problem that a lot of communities are facing today. And ⁓ I feel that's where, know, Landrum kind of steps out of, you know, how do we the micro and how do we look at solving the macro issues, right, around workforce and and people development and consistency because we also know that, you know, when we connect in communities and create a better environment for all companies all employees, we create better communities, right? People are more satisfied, ⁓ there's opportunities for everybody, there's growth, there's career path progression. ⁓ And leads to a lot of great opportunity just for the individuals that are in those communities today. Rick Outzen: Good point because you can so often you can you know you can get caught in a silo. If the if the community's not growing, you can feel trapped in the job. It could be a good job, but you've there's no lateral movement or or progression you could see ⁓ in a vibrant type community. Jim Howe: Yeah, absolutely. And I think part of that companies need to look a little internally sometimes too. And ⁓ we were just talking about, you know, I came from an event today talking about being an employer of choice. And there's a lot of different elements that go into being an employer of choice. And part of that is creating career path for folks and giving them the necessary training ⁓ skills to upskill themselves. So it's not always attracting new, but it's taking your existing workforce, ⁓ them, training them into the next level job or position that you're gonna need them to be successful in. Rick Outzen: Not simple. Right. Everybody could do it, but you're you're looking but I could see w so in this in this environment that you're talking about, Jim, you you're looking at at recruiting new talent in, if the talent's not here, talent that's within the community and then possibly talent that's within the within the company Jim Howe: It isn't simple, right? That's right. Yeah, I think all those things have to be part of that equation. And what we learned in some other communities is the process of education for the opportunities that are here in our community start before high school. They have to be moved into the middle school and sometimes even into the elementary school ⁓ so we start building the kind of the mindset of the future workforce ⁓ of opportunities are here and the skills that we're gonna need from them they mature into our workforce over time. Rick Outzen: Is there is there a school system that's doing that well? or everybody's still trying to ⁓ Jim Howe: I I think everybody's still trying to figure that out. I think individual companies companies are doing that fairly well. I know that we work with GE Vernova locally. we helped create a program through the University of West Florida called the Catalyst Program, gives students that are currently enrolled in college today an opportunity to work part-time their field of study in a ⁓ existing organization with intent that As they progress over their college career, that they get hired by that host company at the end of that time. So more than just an internship, it's really a workforce development initiative helps connect that looking to get in certain industries with opportunities that make sense for them. And so the university's done great job. It's expanded, I think, past 20 or 21, 22 companies in our area that are participating in this program now. ⁓ Just a unique opportunity for these college students to get real work experience in an area. So Rick Outzen: you seem to be excited already. ⁓ Jim Howe: Thank you, I appreciate that. I love the fact that you know we we help ⁓ solve their people problems, quite honestly. And you know, a lot of organizations struggle because they don't know where to start or to make an impact and make it different. And so there's a lot of different ⁓ kind things within that equation that ⁓ you I personally get excited about is uncovering where the issues and the challenges are and how do we change what we're doing to chart a different course, to make it impactful. And at the end of the day, ⁓ You know, COVID taught us one thing. You know, we went from an employer-driven marketplace to an employee-driven marketplace. companies that have switched with that, you know, dynamic are the ones that are being successful today. Ones that are looking internally their existing employee base figuring out how do I continue to make them more effective and how do I upscale them. ⁓ How do connect in my community to show what we're doing and who we are as an organization, ⁓ to bring culture to the forefront of who we are as an organization as a way to attract people. before they're looking for their next job. So there's a lot in that kind of talent development pipeline that organizations can do internally that I think helps, you know, create a better community for all of us. So Rick Outzen: If if individuals looking for work or l or are trying to get plugged into some of these jobs that are coming, we've got we've got about two minutes left. ⁓ how do they plug in how can how do plug into Landrum to get plugged into the these possible jobs? Jim Howe: So we've got a lot of of all, it's it's it's certainly, you know, we we love Landrum and and we have our website and at any given time, you know, we've got a hundred plus jobs that we're recruiting for, right? So Apple opportunity to to find us at landrum.com. but ⁓ you we've got great partners, Career Source Escorosa does a tremendous job in helping individuals looking for work get connected in the community. ⁓ We've some great trade schools and community college schools that have apprenticeship. certification programs that help individuals get into new or new environments and new roles. So, ⁓ know, I would say look at all those opportunities. There's great grant programs that are out there that can help individuals who are looking ⁓ either learn a new skill or upskill where they're at today. and so we've got just a a a lot in our community that's working in the right direction. So I wanna ⁓ say that we're in really good hands and there's a great partnership that's that's evolved ⁓ through the segments I talked about that that's helping us to get better. Rick Outzen: That's great. Well Jim, thank you so much for coming on. I appreciate it. Good to meet Very nice to meet you, The job market is rich in this community. I think the news general is something, but it's a it's abundant, but it's that you got to get trained for for the new the next generation of jobs. We're gonna go ahead and take a break. I'm Rick Altson. We're Rick's blog live.