Jobs Plus connects the dots with education
LOREN BENOIT/Press Outgoing Jobs Plus Board Chair Patty Shea gives her closing remarks in front of Jobs Plus members last Thursday at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
LOREN BENOIT/PressIncoming Jobs Plus Board Chair, Eve Knudtsen, right, hugs Patty Shea after handing her an award plaque thanking Shea for her leadership.
COEUR d'ALENE — For the wheels of economic development to turn, education has to be a cog.
Recent developments in local education were among the success stories celebrated Thursday during the Jobs Plus annual meeting attended by about 300 at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.
"One of the key components (to recruiting and expanding businesses) is a well-educated, well-trained and ready workforce," said Gynii Gilliam, president of the Coeur d'Alene area economic development corporation.
Gilliam said it's going to take government, colleges, the K-12 school system and businesses working together to overcome the challenges of creating and retaining such a workforce and "connect the dots" of economic development, which has been a Jobs Plus theme over the past year.
Among the bright spots in North Idaho has been the emerging high technology manufacturing sector.
"We are in an IT (information technology) world," she said.
Gilliam said technology is part of every industry, whether it's in agriculture with drones to map fields or in health care that is becoming more digitized.
"The cool thing for us is that this is not science fiction," she said.
North Idaho College President Joe Dunlap, who was in the last day of his job before retiring, said the college has received multiple recent grants to start new programs that create career opportunities.
NIC received a $3 million Department of Labor grant to establish the Aerospace Center of Excellence in Hayden supported by 27 aerospace companies.
It also was awarded a $6.4 million grant to start or expand eight health care programs in partnership with other colleges across the state.
"Over the past several years, there have been 17 new career technical programs to support business and industry and put people to work," Dunlap said.
NIC will also open its new 110,960-square-foot, $20 million Career Technical Education Facility in Rathdrum next to the Kootenai Technical Education Campus this fall. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is Sept. 28.
Dunlap said the partnerships that have been formed between NIC, the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College are unique.
"It's possible to go to high school here and earn your (doctorate degree) without ever leaving the region," he said. "That's unusual for a community of this size."
Charles Buck, who serves as the chief administrator and spokesperson for the University of Idaho in Coeur d'Alene, said the three schools operate in a "noncompetitive mode."
Buck said the UI is committed to developing a "tech-savvy workforce" to help fuel the industry.
The UI's Dign'IT program started four years ago to raise awareness of new technology in the region. He said summer camps for middle-school students have expanded across the state.
"This is where you go to realize ideas," Buck said. "We're contributing to hands-on learning."
UI also has formed partnerships with local entrepreneurial efforts such as Innovation Collective, the CDA 2030 vision plan and Future Frontiers.
Another recent boost came when legislators during the last session approved funding for a computer science degree program in Coeur d'Alene that will start this fall.
"We expect the program to grow rapidly," Buck said.
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little said economic development is a lot like the concierge service of a hotel. Nothing beats one-stop shopping for businesses looking to start up, relocate or expand.
"Good economic development is that one point of contact, and Jobs Plus has a long history of being that," said Little, who earlier this week announced he’ll run for governor in 2018.