Ellis County Chamber outlines multi-pronged workforce plan, details childcare shortage and student career outreach

Sarah Walsinger, president and CEO of the Hays Chamber of Commerce, told the Ellis County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 that the county’s newly formed workforce and childcare task force is pursuing a multi-pronged approach to address long-term workforce supply and an ongoing shortage of licensed child-care capacity. The task force is creating a centralized job-resource portal, convening industry-specific high-school career cluster meetings, expanding training and benefits for small employers, and running a countywide high-school career experience on Oct. 29 at Hays High School.

Walsinger said the county will house regional job boards and employer resources on the chamber website (hayeschamber.com) so employers and jobseekers can find openings and training programs in one place. “We have started a pretty much region wide job board,” she said, and it will link local boards, the innovation center, KansasWorks, Handshake and other career platforms.

The task force’s work includes four goals: connecting workforce resources to local employers; supporting housing that meets workforce needs;…