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Those from outside of the Kansas City area and even the Midwest may dismiss the frequently touted area work ethic. Many Platte County employers, however, know it is not a myth. In both employer anecdote and raw statistics, this area consistently ranks high in productivity and low in costs associated with absenteeism and other issues. In a recent U.S. Bureau of Census finding, workers in the Kansas City metropolitan area were shown to provide 50 percent more value added per hour than the national average. Local examinations show similar results. In 2003, the Platte County Economic Development Council conducted a business outreach survey in which 88 businesses were visited and studied. These businesses employed nearly 14,000 employees. The findings were dramatic. When ranking the workforce characteristics of Platte County businesses, all categories ranked above average. Other findings of the survey were significant as well. Forty-two of the eighty-eight companies surveyed were recruiting new employees; 15.66% of the companies noted that they expect an increase in the number of job openings, 12.05% noted a decrease. Not everything was positive. Half of those surveyed experience some recruiting difficulties, although 65 percent of those believe the problem is related to their own specific industry. Platte County's population is a factor, although its relatively small size of less than 80,000 must be qualified. The county--and relating workforce--has the second fastest growth rate in Missouri. Equally significant for employers, Platte County is part of a labor pool region that contains nearly 150,000. Another plus for the Platte employer involves training and education. Platte County residents bring some of the highest average levels of education in the area and, when that is not enough, the area offers excellent training opportunities. Maple Woods Community College is part of the Metropolitan Com-munity College (MCC) system that also includes the Business & Technology College. The Northland Career Center in Platte City offers training programs such as health services, marketing, diesel mechanics and many others. The school includes a vocational evaluation center for individual assessment, a learning center for basic skills, a vocational program for disabled or disadvantaged students and several programs for adult students. |
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