In 2021, the Partnership team worked purposefully to produce results through established strategies, deliberate marketing and collaborative engagement with community partners and business leadership. The following information is a high-level overview of the accomplishments made in 2021 within our strategic priority of Talent to fast-forward economic growth in the Greater Wichita region.
Raised an unbudgeted amount of $500,000 from the City of Wichita, Kansas Department of Commerce, Sedgwick County, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas and the Partnership to hire global consultant Deloitte to initiate the Future of Work & Workforce Strategy which will provide a bold, actionable roadmap to keep our region and people competitive as industries evolve
Partnered with WSU Tech and NIAR WERX to attract students for growing opportunities within Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for the “Get to WERX” earn and learn program
Hosted Business & Education Alliance (BEA) meetings focused on work-based learning programs and youth employment opportunities to build the workforce of the future
Partnered with WSU’s Public Policy and Management Center (PPMC) to produce a report to learn about talent research and trends post 2020
Hosted 3 virtual Morning Meet-Ups for local HR and talent professionals to share challenges and opportunities in the workplace
Participated in the Wichita Eagle webinar panel to discuss remote work and talent attraction efforts
Engaged 147 interns through the Summer Intern Kickoff event at WAVE
Developed a one-stop resource on the Choose Wichita website for interns
Launched a new texting platform to engage interns throughout the summer, sharing insight on local events, things to do and opportunities to win gift cards to local shops and restaurants
Interviewed with The Chung Report to discuss “Internships in the ICT”
Gained insight from local recruiters, HR and talent professionals through the Regional Employer Talent Survey into how we can continue to sell the Wichita region as a top choice for talent
Participated in the Kansas Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development and Education Summit on a panel focused on the local approach to high-demand jobs and talent attraction efforts
Published 9 new Choose Wichita blogs to position our region as the “relentlessly original” place to work, live and play
Continued initiatives to help impacted workforce from the 737 MAX production suspension and COVID-19 to return to work, including launching the second phase of the "Get Trained. Get Paid." talent retention campaign garnering 10 stories on KWCH with a reach of 35,000 households per story, 4,638 expressing interest in an open job in the region, 295K+ Facebook ad impressions, 145K+ people reached through Facebook
Re-engaged Development Counsellors International (DCI) to evaluate the Talent Marketing Blueprint and identify new talent trends due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that will shape our local and national marketing strategies
Engaged companies and recruitment teams throughout the region to provide insight into the region’s relentlessly original lifestyle and Choose Wichita-branded talent resources
Participated in the Wichita Business Journal’s Employer Summit and presented on culture, diversity, equity and inclusion
Partnered with ICT Box to create a curated “Boomerang Box” with local goods that were sent to 26 states from residents to loved ones that have roots in the region – all 75 boxes initially purchased by the Partnership were ordered within the first 5 hours of the launch
