U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., toured Workforce Partnership Tuesday and sat down with the executive director to learn about the services they provide for both job seekers and employers in the Greater Kansas City Area.
With career centers in Johnson, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties, Workforce Partnership offers professional expertise and funding resources to employers and eligible job seekers. Rep. Davids currently serves as the chair of the Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.
“The services provided by Workforce Partnership are exactly what our community needs to make sure employers can fill jobs and employees are supported, empowered, and uplifted,” Rep. Davids said. “I know many people in our community have changed career paths or had trouble hiring as a result of the pandemic. With the help of vaccinations, federal support, and local programs like Workforce Partnership, unemployment is decreasing and people are getting back to work. It was a pleasure to join Keely and her team today to see their work in action.”
During the tour, Rep. Davids stopped by the onsite Youth Center and met with Keely Schneider, executive director of Workforce Partnership, to hear about their job seeker services, employer services, and labor market data research.
Schneider highlighted the new RetainWorks Program, designed to assist individuals with temporary or permanent disability return to work, and the soon-to-launch RespectWorks Program, designed to provide intensive case management and career navigation for individuals released from the prison system in Kansas.
“Many people think that local workforce boards are only relevant when unemployment is high and job seekers are plentiful. On the contrary, workforce boards provide vital services to employers when the labor market is tight, like it is currently,” said Keely Schneider, executive director of Workforce Partnership. “Workforce Partnership is able to tap into talent pools that often go overlooked in a more balanced marketplace – such as individuals with criminal backgrounds or disabilities, or people who may not speak English well. Representative Davids understands that creation of highly skilled jobs is not only vital to our regional economic growth, but also a solid recipe for individual prosperity.”
2021 saw the sharpest one-year drop in unemployment in United States history, equaling 3.9% in December, while a total of 6.4 million new jobs were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wages also rose in December, with the average hourly pay jumping 4.7% compared to a year ago.
Rep. Davids has supported bills in Congress that help employers and employees in the 3rd District, including:
• Introduced the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act, which would increase access to resources and opportunities for female entrepreneurs in Kansas and across the country;
• Introduced two bipartisan bills, which passed the House, to help improve the Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan Program, which provides long-term, fixed rate financing for small businesses;
• Voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, which provided targeted relief to Kansans through a stronger Paycheck Protection Program, extended pandemic-related unemployment benefits, and grants to hard-hit industries such as restaurants and entertainment venues;
• Voted to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is expected to bring $3.8 billion to Kansas for infrastructure needs and will put 30,000 construction workers on the job in the Kansas City area;
• Announced the SBA Kansas City District Office reached $1.2 million in funding to small businesses in the Kansas Third District through 186 traditional loans for fiscal year 2021, creating 10,662 jobs in Kansas and Missouri.
- Photos and story from Rep. Sharice Davids’ office