Addressing essential skills gap starts at the community level, Sen. Wilson says

As businesses continue to struggle to find workers with essential skills to fill available positions, Sen. Mike Wilson says it is time for communities and businesses to come together to provide the resources needed to fill these gaps.

One of the main concerns among employers when it comes to workforce issues in the state is a lack of essential skills—also known as soft skills—which include being able to work in a team, showing up to work on time, dressing appropriately, etc.

When asked how the state needs to address these issues, Wilson pointed to a program called “The Leader in Me” in his area of Bowling Green where the community helps students learn these skills. Wilson said the program is so powerful that the business community has stepped up to fund it to ensure these skills are being taught.

“I think you have to have businesses and you have to have the community come together and be involved,” Wilson said. “I think these cooperations and collaborations within communities have to start addressing these issues that we are facing.”

Hear more details about the “Leader in Me” program and how Sen. Wilson believes the soft skills gap can be addressed by listening to the interview here:

Check back on The Bottom Line in the coming weeks to hear more from Wilson on what he expects will be the key education issues during the 2017 session.