Regional economic group pitches workforce, housing and child-care initiatives to county commissioners

NEOSHO COUNTY, Kan. — Patty Ann Sanborn, representing SEK Incorporated, gave a presentation Tuesday about the group’s work to support career-technical education, housing and child care across 12 Southeast Kansas counties and invited county officials to participate in upcoming conferences and outreach events.

SEK Incorporated’s mission: Sanborn said SEK — founded in 1957 as Mid America — now focuses on three areas: career technical education and workforce development, housing strategies and child-care solutions. She described partnerships with community colleges and local employers to promote career-technical education and workforce pipelines.

On housing: Sanborn said the group held a housing conference two years ago that drew far more attendees than expected (about 130) and plans another event in Chanute in November at the Impact Center with speakers addressing senior housing and creative local solutions in smaller cities. She described state housing funding as having been reduced recently and said local innovation is needed.

On child care: Sanborn highlighted local efforts to involve employers in subsidizing child care and said partnerships between industry and community colleges have produced new early-childhood curriculum and provider development. She told commissioners about employers that have started to subsidize child care to retain workers and about forums and tours the group organizes for local leaders to learn promising practices.

Sanborn asked commissioners to attend events and help promote the group’s outreach across the 12-county Southeast Kansas region.