The Need

Missouri's Workforce Need

Today – and projected into the next 20 years – there is a growing need for technically skilled employees on local, state and national levels. As educators and community members, it is incumbent on us to do the utmost possible to provide all students the tools and employers the human capital to succeed.


The fact is that more than half of our region’s high school graduates do not matriculate into college or earn Bachelor’s degrees in non-technical fields. With a shortage of skilled workers in our region, we believe this is the perfect time to change the mindset that all students need college degrees to have successful careers. Integrating workforce skills content into our curriculum will serve all students, in the style they like to learn. This dramatically increases their engagement, career path options and future earning potential.

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Statewide Shortages

“The largest barrier to expanding employment continues to be a shortage of workers with knowledge and skills…. The greatest shortages are found in Skilled Trades and Patient Care.”


In nearly all skill areas, shortages were higher in non-metro areas vs. metro, with 51% of employers reporting a need for workers in manufacturing/maintenance and 21% in information technology. Construction Trades are projected to grow 13% through 2026, adding over 15,000 new jobs over this period. Employers reported a “constant need of help” in all areas of construction and building maintenance. 


(MERIC, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, 2020 Employer Survey Report.)

Central Missouri Labor Needs

The college attendance rate for the six central Missouri counties of Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard and Moniteau is higher than the national average of 41% (National Center for Education Statistics, 2020). However, with half of our students not pursuing education after high school, we face a critical skills gap that negatively affects employers. A Fall 2020 needs assessment led by Southern Boone County School District, Ashland, mirrors this statewide report with 86 participants identifying the following as their greatest labor needs:

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The Need Is Clear

58% of employers interviewed stated they have positions available for those with a skilled workforce education – education beyond high school but less than a 4-year degree (MERIC). 

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