Skilled Labor Force Key to Volusia Economic Development Efforts
There are many components that go into a successful economic development strategy and at the top of the list is a skilled workforce. Efforts to create good-paying jobs for residents require workers who are trained in the latest technologies and equipped with the skills for 21st century jobs, which makes jobs and talent an important part of a community’s economic vitality.
“A skilled labor force is an extremely important factor in attracting new business development in Volusia County,” said Keith Norden, president and CEO at Team Volusia EDC. “Companies looking at our community for expansion or relocation want to know we have available labor with the right skillset to staff their business needs.”
Norden said one of Team Volusia’s goals is to work with local colleges and universities as well as workforce development agencies to ensure the pool of skilled workers keeps up with changing technologies and industry needs.
“Volusia County currently has 268,083 people in the workforce along with 38,220 students across the nine colleges and universities here,” he said. “Our goal is to expand the number of skilled jobs in our community to provide opportunities for both our existing workforce and to retain students after graduation. Along with our partners in higher education, we work with CareerSource Brevard Flagler Volusia on degrees, certifications and programs that fuel a strong labor force in Volusia County.”
With economic development a key focus of communities across the state, region and nation, having an available workforce that meets the needs of a variety of industries has its challenges, which makes finding skilled workers is as important as bringing new business development to the area, Norden said.
“Like business recruitment, talent recruitment is about investing in our community to fuel economic prosperity for the companies that locate here and the people who live and work here,” he said. “While Team Volusia’s mission is primarily to recruit business, we have a secondary focus on talent attraction to keep our workforce numbers strong. We work closely with higher education and workforce training partners to help identify and fulfill skillset needs. In addition, Team Volusia has collaboratively developed two talent-related programs to support our growing business community. One with Livability which is a lifestyle and talent recruitment annual print and digital magazine. And the other with Florida Power & Light’s statewide WonderFL campaign, which launched LifeInVolusiaFL.com to promote what it’s like to live and work here.”
But creating and fostering growth in jobs and talent has to match the kind of industries and companies that would be a good fit for the community.
“While we are open to recruiting businesses from across all industries, Team Volusia does targeted outreach with seven key industries – aviation and aerospace, manufacturing, information technology, logistics, life sciences, finance and insurance, and corporate headquarters,” Norden said. “Working closely with our nine colleges and universities, as well as with workforce training partners like CareerSource Brevard Flagler Volusia, means that together we can recognize the training that best supports the success of our business community. Team Volusia also promotes the ability of several of our higher-ed partners to work with companies to create custom skillset development programs for them.”
