Tag: Rep. Sharice Davids

Job picture is improving, according to Rep. Davids and Workforce officials

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, left, visited with Workforce Partnership employees on Tuesday. (Photo from Rep. Davids’ office)
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, right, visited with Workforce Partnership employees on Tuesday. (Photo from Rep. Davids’ office)

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

Davids backs legislation to support women business owners

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., have jointly introduced the Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act.

The legislation would increase access to resources and opportunities for female entrepreneurs in Kansas and across the country, according to Rep. Davids.

The bill passed the last Congress with unanimous bipartisan support and is being reintroduced this session.

The Women’s Business Center program was established 30 years ago to help women entreprenuers succeed, and now boasts 150 locations throughout the United States. These centers serve over 150,000 business owners annually, including the Kansas City WBC located in Fairway, Kansas, which reached more than 800 clients last year.

WBCs provide a full range of counseling and technical training services for small businesses and are instrumental to businesses that are navigating the pandemic, according to Rep. Davids’ office.

“Women-owned businesses employ 9.4 million people nationwide and contribute $1.2 trillion to our economy each year, but throughout the pandemic, female entrepreneurs have been more likely to close their doors. By properly funding resources like Women’s Business Centers, we can increase access to vital counseling and training services that help set entrepreneurs up for success,” Rep. Davids said. “The Third District has an amazing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and I’m proud to introduce bipartisan legislation that will spur even further innovation and economic opportunity here at home.”

The Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act reauthorizes the WBC program for four years, increases the authorization level from $18 million annually to $31.5 million, and increases the cap on individual center grants for the first time since the program began. The bill also establishes an accreditation program run by the Association of Small Business Development Centers to ensure all WBCs provide excellent service and counseling.

The Kansas City WBC serves Kansas entrepreneurs through business trainings, workshops, counseling, and access to capital programs targeted at female business owners. Throughout the pandemic, they have adapted many of their programs to be virtual, relying on SBA funding and the CARES Act to continue to service the strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kansas. The Kansas City WBC shared its work with Congress during a House Small Business Committee hearing chaired by Davids in June.

“We are a small team at the Kansas City Women’s Business Center, but we serve a strong, vibrant community of entrepreneurs. Part of the reason we were able to serve over 800 clients and adapt our services during the pandemic last year is because of the support of champions like Representative Davids,” said Sherry Turner, executive director of the Kansas City Women’s Business Center. “This bill would significantly increase our funding, allowing us to reach more women across Kansas and offer more trainings and services to help them succeed and thrive—which has compound effects that lift up our entire local economy.”

  • Story from Rep. Sharice Davids’ office

Congresswoman favors ‘common sense’ approach to legislation

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Opinion column

by Murrel Bland

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., said she is part of a group of “common sense” Democrats in Congress who carefully spend taxpayers’ dollars. This was a comment she made at a luncheon meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, Dec. 17, at Children’s Mercy Park.

Good roads and bridges are important to business and industry, Rep. Davids said. In a prepared news release, Rep. Davids said, “The Kansas Third is home to vital trucking and logistics and we are growing fast…” Good roads are important getting goods to market, she said.

Rep. Davids was the only member of the Kansas Congressional delegation to vote for the infrastructure bill. Rep. Davids is the only Democrat member of the delegation. The infrastructure bill will fund improvements to the I-435 and State Avenue intersection. The state of Kansas will receive more than $500 million in federal funds for road and bridge repair.

The Unified Government hopes to receive federal aid to fund its storm water program. Storm water is a particularly acute problem in the eastern areas of Wyandotte County.

Rep. Davids spoke in favor of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill, which passed the U.S. House, but is stalled in the U.S. Senate. Rep. Davids said the child care provision of the bill would help lessen the shortage of workers.

Recently elected Mayor Tyrone Garner introduced his chief-of-staff. She is Dr. Mildred Edwards, a business consultant who received her doctorate in community psychology from Wichita State University. She is an adjunct faculty member at the Public Management Center of the University of Kansas.

The Congressional Forum is part of the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce. The next meeting of the forum will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Children’s Mercy Park.

Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is executive director of Business West.