This webinar will highlight the key findings of a recent examination of the workforce needs facing Missouri’s food, agriculture and forestry industries. This study used labor market information, employer surveys and key stakeholder interviews to identify the current and future challenges facing employers in these industries. Conducted throughout 2019 and early 2020, this research highlights the jobs that these employers need to fill over the next decade. It shows that nearly 40 percent of jobs within these industries require workers to have moderate or long-term on-the-job training, which is twice the average for other jobs in the state.
Overall, the study shows the importance of two themes: create & compete. The food, agriculture and forestry industries must implement strategies that create workers to fill positions unique to these industries. They must also effectively compete with other industries to hire workers for jobs that are in-demand throughout the economy. While automation can help many employers solve some of their workforce challenges, these options are not available to all firms. Moreover, these solutions can also create additional workforce challenges.
Presenter:
Mark White, Associate Extension Professor, University of Missouri Extension; Policy Research Scholar, Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri