Mayor Duncan launches workforce development task force and schedules July 9 open office hours

Spencer L. Duncan announced a new workforce development task force that will report directly to the mayor’s office and aim to strengthen connections between residents, training providers and local employers. "The goal of [the] task force is to help Topeka think more strategically about local workforce development," Duncan said, listing apprenticeships, internships and technical training as pathways the body will examine.

Duncan said citizen reviewers helped shape the task force’s objectives and that application information would be posted to his social media accounts later the same day. He advised interested residents to email the mayor’s office; he said either he or his assistant, Jane, would follow up on applications.

Alongside the task force announcement, Duncan said he will start recurring "mayor’s open office hours" in City Hall to meet residents in 15-minute slots. The first set of sessions will begin Thursday, July 9; sign-ups will be posted Wednesday on his social platforms and will be available by request via email. Duncan stressed the slots are first-come, first-served and that the office will continue to accept separate meeting requests, phone calls and emails for those needing more time.

Duncan framed the two initiatives as part of a broader effort to retain young residents, attract employers and support family-sustaining careers. "Workforce development is not just about filling jobs," he said, "My goal is to help people find career paths, earn better wages, support their families, and build some stability." The mayor said the task force is one piece of a larger economic development strategy the city will discuss with its policy and finance committee in July.

The mayor’s office did not provide an exact schedule for task force meetings or membership criteria beyond the promise that mission, objectives and application details would be posted publicly.