Studies show RV Manufacturing Capital, Elkhart County, Indiana has about 20,000 more jobs than workers available to fill them, a problem which officials are trying to address.
At an Economic Development Summit on Tuesday, Mark Dobson, president of the Economic Development Corporation of Elkhart County, said that the lack of skilled workers is one of the biggest concerns for employers looking to locate to the county.
The summit, featuring leaders in economic development from around the region, discussed how the business climate in the county was doing and what needed to improve.
“We are hearing amazing feedback about the workforce in this county,” he said. “But we are also hearing concerns that there is not enough inventory.”
Dobson said studies estimate need workers represents about 15 percent of the county’s current labor force.
Concerns have also been raised about the age of the current workforce. Both Dobson and Rollie Helmling, director of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, say that the area’s workforce is getting closer to retirement and that it is very important that we train individuals to take the soon-to-be vacant jobs.
—
