When it comes to labor, the biggest challenge is having the skilled labor to fill available positions, said Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area. From 2021 to 2026, job growth in the region is forecasted to grow 12.5%, which is nearly three times more than what’s projected for the U.S.
It’s on regional partners to make sure companies in industries that are expanding can fill those jobs with training, upskilling or apprenticeships. She called economic and workforce development “two sides of the same coin.”