Several state agencies and businesses will take part in a meeting Tuesday to discuss efforts to recruit, train, and retain workers in Iowa. Kerry Koonce, with Iowa Workforce Development, says they’re hoping for a wide range of input at the Governor’s Workforce Summit in Des Moines.
Koonce says the participants will include business leaders, economic developers and educators. Around 400 people are expected at the day long conference at the Polk County Convention Complex. Koonce says, "The focus of this is to kind of bring together everyone to look at the problem and then propose some solutions that the state can have an impact on."
The workforce summit is scheduled roughly one month before the start of the 2008 Iowa Legislature convenes. Koonce says the meeting will allow her agency and others to develop policy changes related to workforce strategies – and present those ideas to lawmakers before the ’08 session.
Speakers at tomorrow’s summit will include Governor Chet Culver, Iowa Workforce Development Director Elisabeth Buck, State Economic Development Director Mike Tramontina , and Iowa Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey.