A group of Navasota civic and business leaders hope they are finally close to birthing a local Workforce Development Program. One of them, the general manager of a local service company told council last week he’s discovered that there’s roughly 300 unemployed or under employed in our area.
Chris Kehl admitted that some of it is due to jobs that have been lost in the Industrial Park, and part is due to folks who just never got any job skills, so they’re just flippin’ burgers, or don’t have a job at all.
Kehl reported the initial thinking was to look at focusing on industry, but that has been broadened out to business owners as well, and he now has a partner who is interested in doing training for hospitality.
He added he’s thinks he’s found some funding mechanisms that could bring about low or even no-cost training for individuals or businesses.
City Manager Brad Stafford said he thinks we’re as close now to getting local workforce development as we’ve ever been. To which Kehl added we’d better be.
If we don’t do it this time, he admitted, he doesn’t think we’ll get any further help from industry, because they’ve heard it all before. He agreed with Stafford that this is our best opportunity, asking everyone on Council to support it.
If you’d like to help support it, you’re invited to an informational luncheon on Wednesday, July 12th at the Navasota Center, co-hosted by the City, Blinn College, Workforce Solutions of the Brazos Valley and the Navasota Grimes County Chamber of Commerce. You can RSVP by email to workforceeducation@navasotatx.gov.