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term talent retention-key factors identified as constraints to economic growth in a rural, mutti' <br />jurisdictionaI economY. <br />By engaging emptoyers across industries and jurisdictions, the position ensures that economic <br />devetopment strategies are informed by reat-time business needs' Emptoyer input is used to <br />identify workforce chaltenges, skitts gaps, and barriers to growth, attowing county and regionaI <br />partners to atign education, workforce, and business support efforts more effectively' <br />The rote advances county and regionat goats by coordinating workforce-focused programming that <br />hetps businesses recruit, retain, and devetop emptoyees; supporting atignment between <br />emptoyers and K-12, Career &Technicat Education, higher education, and workforce systems; and <br />improving communication and coordination among economic devetopment partners' These efforts <br />contribute to a more resitient workforce, reduced turnover, and increased competitiveness for <br />local emptoYers. <br />Additionatty, the position enhances regionaleconomic devetopment capacity by serving as a <br />neutral convener and imptementation partner. By reducing dupl'ication, improving coordination, <br />and supporting shared initiatives across jurisdictions, the rote hetps maximize the impact of pubtic <br />and private investment. This coordinated, emptoyer-informed approach suppolts sustainabte <br />economic growth, workforce readiness, and tong-term economic resitience for Kittitas County and <br />the region. <br />8. Describe any ;esearch your organization has conducted which shows the need for this <br />position. ptease inctude the data upon which your ctaims are based for our review. <br />The need for this position is informed by ongoing emptoyer engagement, program participation <br />data, and coordination with education and workforce partners conducted bythe Kittitas county <br />Chamber of Commerce. <br />Through regutar outreach, surveys, meetings, and workforce-focused programming' emptoyerS <br />across sectors consistently identifyworkforce avaitabitity, recruitment challenges, and employee <br />retention as primary barriers to growth and sustainabitity. Chamber'facititated workshops and <br />forums focused on hiring, retention, benefits, and workplace cutture routinety report strong <br />participation and high satisfaction, with employers requesting continued and expanded support in <br />these areas. <br />Program data further supports this need. workforce-retated events and business forums <br />consistentty generate some of the highest attendance among Chamber offerings, and post-event <br />evatuations indicate that emptoyers vatue practicat tools retated to worHorce mansgement' <br />onboarding, and retention strategies. Qualitative feedback gathered through surueys and fottow-up <br />conversations reftects ongoing difficutty fitting positions, high turnovel, and challenges atigning <br />skitts with avaitabte jobs. <br />ln addition, coordination with K-12, Career & Technicat Education (cTE), higher education, and <br />workforce organizations has hightighted gaps in communication between emptoyers and training <br />providers. Emptoyers report a need for clearer pathways to engage with education partners' white <br />educators seek more consistent employer input to atign curriculum and training with tocat