Burgum, Workforce Development Council announce ND Works plan to help address workforce challenges

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and members of North Dakota’s Workforce Growth Council (WDC) as we speak launched a bundle of proposals to handle the state’s workforce challenges throughout a press convention on the ultimate day of the 2022 Major Road ND Summit.

The proposals, dubbed the ND Works Funding Plan and totaling over $50 million, are based mostly on suggestions from the WDC, which held a particular assembly to debate the proposals earlier than as we speak’s press convention.

“With broad illustration throughout a number of industries and all ranges of presidency, the Workforce Growth Council is uniquely suited to advocate options to our workforce problem, which stays our No. 1 barrier to financial progress,” Burgum mentioned. “We look ahead to working with the legislature to refine the ND Works Funding Plan and different proposals to handle our workforce scarcity and assist North Dakota communities attain their full potential.”

The ND Works plan focuses on 5 key ideas: profession exploration and preparation; addressing the technical abilities hole; recruitment and retention; eradicating boundaries to employment; and occupational licensure reform. The proposals embody:

• Dedicating $20 million to a aggressive Regional Workforce Affect Grant program for native governments, financial growth teams, chambers, regional councils and different workforce entities working to handle regional labor calls for.
• Offering practically $25 million for a strategic advertising and marketing and recruitment marketing campaign which is able to embody help for increasing the Discover the Good Life expertise attraction initiative and Job Service North Dakota digital job festivals.
• Increasing the state’s automation tax credit score with a $5 million Automation Enhancement Workforce Coaching Grant to help upskilling and superior coaching for employers using automation applied sciences to ease workforce challenges.
• Including $2 million to the Technical Abilities Coaching Grant, which since its inception in 2020 has supported the launch or enlargement of practically 30 coaching packages in well being care, info know-how, transportation, welding and extra.
• Making a job placement pilot program with practically $750,000 to make sure that incarcerated people launched from North Dakota’s correctional amenities are educated and related to positions the place they will succeed.
• Proceed engaged on occupational licensure reform to establish methods to expedite the method for skilled licensure in North Dakota.

“The Workforce Growth Council is happy to see our suggestions included within the Governor’s ND Works Funding plan,” WDC Chairman Dave Farnsworth mentioned. “All through the final a number of years, the Council has knowledgeable a number of initiatives which can be efficiently impacting North Dakota’s workforce, together with suggestions for space profession and know-how facilities, expertise attraction, expert workforce coaching, expedited licensure for navy members and spouses, and extra. We look ahead to working with the Governor’s Workplace and the legislature over subsequent few months to proceed constructing out this plan.”

At this time’s announcement comes the day after Burgum introduced the Energizing Our Communities plan, a coverage framework that proposes investments of over $20 million to help group growth efforts, workforce housing, recreation and vibrancy initiatives.

Burgum, Sanford and legislators additionally introduced a complete youngster care proposal in September to handle the supply, affordability and high quality of kid care providers, which continues to be a barrier to workforce participation.

Burgum and Sanford additionally joined with State Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus and legislators in August to suggest earnings tax reforms that may save North Dakota taxpayers an estimated $250 million yearly and set up North Dakota because the lowest flat-tax state within the nation, making the state a extra engaging place to work and inexpensive place to reside.