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Updates from The SRSCRO
April 2015
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NEW REGIONAL WORKFORCE STUDY 
  • Are job openings projected in the next 5 years?
  • What is driving regional growth?
  • What are our regional workforce challenges?
Summary    
     
Regional employers will need to fill more than 30,000 job openings over the next five years in the five-county region of South Carolina and Georgia represented by the SRS Community Reuse Organization (SRSCRO).

That is a key finding of a new study released on April 22 to business and government leaders in the SRSCRO region. TIP Strategies, an Austin, Texas-based economic consulting firm, performed the study for the SRSCRO by examining workforce trends in the five counties the SRSCRO represents - Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell in South Carolina and Richmond and Columbia in Georgia.
 
Tom Stellman, President and CEO of TIP Strategies presented the study results at the April 22 briefing held at the North Augusta Municipal Building.


The detailed labor study delved into four of the region's key economic drivers - nuclear, manufacturing, cybersecurity/IT, and healthcare. TIP Strategies conducted a comprehensive analysis of the region's labor force and factors driving demand. They examined alignment between education output and industry requirements. TIP Strategies also met with stakeholders in the five county region and gathered input through interviews, employer and educator roundtable discussions and an employer survey. 

Key Findings and Challenges                   

 

Though the region draws in labor from four surrounding counties, meeting the needs of new and existing employers will be difficult.  In addition to the new jobs that will come with growth of the region's leading industry sectors, a large number of experienced workers are retiring, particularly in the region's skilled trades and technical positions.  The study findings include:

 

  • Over the next five years, the region is projected to have more than 30,000 job openings.
  • The greater region has a civilian workforce of over 400,000.
  • The region's labor force is highly mobile, with over 40% of workers commuting across county lines for work.
  • Approximately 80% of the projected job openings are due to turnover, including attrition and retirement.
  • Students in the region are not choosing education programs that match the high demand occupations.
  • Employers report difficulty finding entry level talent with basic skills needed to be successful in the workplace.
  • Employers report challenges in recruiting talent from other areas of the country.


 

The Response
 
To address these challenges, industry leaders, educational institutions and economic development organizations will need to collaborate and ensure that the region's talent pipeline is well-aligned with industry needs. As part of the Regional Workforce Study, TIP Strategies assisted in developing a regional workforce strategy that is summarized below.

VISION:

The SRSCRO Region is an economically

competitive region where existing and new business can flourish.

 

GOAL:

To create a more demand-driven workforce

system that supports the recruitment, retention, and development of talent.

 

FRAMEWORK & PRIORITY PROJECTS:

 

1. COLLECT

Serve as the regional clearinghouse of information and resources to support the regional workforce system.

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS: Database of education and training resources

 

2. CONVENE

Be a regional convener around workforce topics.

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS: Workforce Summit

 

3. CONNECT

Create networks that partners can leverage to build a more responsive workforce system.

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS: Employer engagement, network of alumni networks

 

4. INFORM

Coordinate activities to raise awareness of opportunities in the region and to change perceptions.

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS: Expand STEM Career Connections, Manufacturing Day

 

5. MARKET

Develop an external marketing campaign to assist regional employers in attracting talent.

 

PRIORITY PROJECTS: Shared marketing collateral, digital ambassadors

 



Implementation
 
While the SRSCRO and their task force led the planning efforts that resulted in the strategy outlined here, the implementation of these strategies requires region-wide involvement. Education, industry, workforce development, and economic development partners must come together to collaborate and move these strategic initiatives forward. 

The SRSCRO will lead the effort by evaluating their role and responsibilities over the next several months. A plan of action will be developed with the hopes that different partner groups can take the lead to help get these regional strategies moving forward.

In This Issue
Study Summary
Key Findings
The Response
Implementation
Spotlight


Established in 1995,
TIP Strategies, Inc., has worked with communities throughout the country to develop innovative, publicly supported economic development strategies. 

Our team members have experience with a variety of clients across the United States and internationally.

While our demographic and industry analyses serve as the foundation for our strategic plans, we pride ourselves on our ability to think creatively-we develop a vision that is supported by the data, but not driven by it. 

Our approach places a premium on well-informed decision-making, sound planning practices, and a commitment to the future.

To learn more about TIP Strategies, visit their website at
 

 
Photo Gallery:
Regional Workforce Study













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The 2015 SRSCRO meeting schedule is available at http://www.srscro.org/meetings/
  
Closing Thoughts

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." - Henny Youngman

"Old age is not so bad when you consider the alternatives." - Maurice Chevalier

"Every increased possession loads us with new weariness." - John Ruskin

"The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think." - Horace Walpole

"When you're through changing, you're through." - Bruce Barton

"The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn."  - David Russell

"The squeaking wheel doesn't always get the grease. Sometimes it gets replaced." - Vic Gold

Contact Information
SRSCRO, PO Box 696, Aiken, SC 20802   Like us on Facebook
 
Staff: 
Rick McLeod - Executive Director - 803-508-7402
Mindy Mets- NWI Program Manager - 803-508-7403
Amy Merry - Administrative & Business Manager - 803-508-7401
Kim Saxon - Assistant Coordinator - 803-508-7656