News
The Diversity & Inclusion Awards celebrates the people and businesses who work to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces and beyond. The Workforce Alliance was proud to have an employee amongst the honorees; read more about Shelley Anderson and her work in the OWDS program below.
Nov 22, 2024
John Costello shares about National Apprenticeship Week and how apprenticeship programs helps both companies and individuals with training.

For more Local News from KWCH: https://www.kwch.com/
For more YouTube Content: / @12newskwch
Article Categories: Apprenticeships
Kirk Seminoff
By Kirk Seminoff – Editor, Wichita Business Journal
Nov 15, 2024

Preview this article


Keith Lawing of the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas has seen the ebb and flow of workforce challenges over his 19 years leading the organization.
Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas President/CEO Keith Lawing discussed current employment challenges and potential strategies while talking with Derby Chamber of Commerce members Oct. 10.
The Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans, or DOCK, program, aims to augment other efforts to expand affordable broadband access with digital skills education.
The annual Get Hired Job Fair will take place in the Advanced Learning Library. This is the Workforce Alliance and Workforce Centers' premiere hiring event.
Kaitlyn Downey, Community Outreach & Skills Coordinator for the Workforce Alliance, was on set at KWCH Channel 12 to highlight offerings from the Workforce Centers of South Central Kansas.
Article Categories: Job Training
WICHITA, KS – Bank of America is supporting the Workforce Alliance of South-Central Kansas’ Youth Employment Project (YEP) for the eighth consecutive year. This year, Bank of America has awarded a grant of $30,000 to assist young professionals in finding their first job or work experience opportunity.
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that $2.8 million is being invested in 15 organizations through the Digital Opportunities to Connect Kansans (DOCK) program. The DOCK grants will improve the digital skills of Kansans who have not yet been able to fully capitalize on the power of the internet.
Article Categories: News
Chip Reece III, Program Manager for SCSEP (Senior Community Service Program) at the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, was on set at KWCH Channel 12 to discuss the benefits the program provides to senior workers.
Article Categories: Resources
It was a great turnout and a very serious series of selfies at the Mayor's Press conference today regarding youth employment in the Wichita area. Thank you to all who attended! Learn more about youth employment opportunities and internships at https://hypekansas.com/
WICHITA, KS - Governor Laura Kelly announced that the Kansas Office of Apprenticeship has launched the MeadowLARK - Leading Apprenticeship Results in Kansas - Initiative to expand the state's Registered Apprenticeship opportunities further. "MeadowLARK is an important tool that will be used to grow the state's skilled workforce in rural and urban communities across multiple industries - furthering Kansas' economic growth," Governor Laura Kelly said.
Article Categories: Apprenticeships
Williams and his friend scored internships at Textron Aviation, with Williams working with sheet metals. The day after he completed his eight-week internship, he was hired on full-time, using his carpentry skills to create the interiors for planes at the company's interior center.
Textron Aviation offers the largest internship program in the area, but other groups through the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas also offer internships.
Article Categories: Youth
WBJ Emerging Leaders had the opportunity Aug. 11, 2023, to hear from local business and nonprofit leaders about their future visions for Wichita. Panelists, from left to right, were: Shirley LeFever, Wichita State University; Noreen Carrocci, Envision; Danielle Johnson, Wichita Habitat for Humanity; Kelly Bielefeld, Wichita Public Schools; Keith Lawing, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas; Aaron Bastian, Fidelity Bank; and Ben Hutton, Hutton.
The Workforce Alliance and Child Start Inc. are partnering to increase awareness and availability of child care in the local area.
The Maize school district recognizes that college isn’t in the cards for every graduating senior. That’s why they offered a job fair showcasing careers you may not even need a degree for. Twenty-five different local businesses took a trip to Maize today to meet with high school seniors about future career opportunities.
Road Trip Nation: Paths Across Kansas will be broadcast regionally in two parts on September 28 and October 5, at 8:30 pm on PBS Kansas. Follow the journeys of five young Kansans as they take a deep dive into their home state's career possibilities. From aerospace and advanced manufacturing to healthcare and agriculture, discover the diverse range of career paths available in South Central Kansas.

The seasonal job picture is changing across the Wichita area and the country. Workforce Alliance CEO Keith Lawing goes into further detail on KNSS radio with Steve and Ted in the morning. Listen here: A look at seasonal job opportunities in the Wichita area (audacy.com)
Governor Kelly has announced administration appointments. Keith Lawing, CEO of the Workforce Alliance of S. Central Kansas has been appointed to the Wichita State Board of Trustees. See highlighted area of document for further details.
An innovative strategy designed to recruit people leaving the military to Wichita has launched. The initiative, Home Base Wichita, led by the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas and partners including the Greater Wichita Partnership, the Greater Wichita Area Veterans Advocacy Board, and the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, received initial funding through the City of Wichita as part of an economic recovery strategy for small business and individuals impacted by COVID-19.
Article Categories: Veterans
Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas awarded $210,000 through Workforce Development Board Digital Skills Pilot Initiative from Jobs For the Future. The Digital Skills Initiative will provide opportunity to prepare and upskill
Kansans for competitive and high-demand technology careers in the region.
SEDGWICK COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — Child Start, and the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas have partnered up to create Creative Child Care Connections. It is a series that matches child care providers with employers.
Evergy Connect, a new facility near downtown Wichita operated by the state's largest electricity provider, aims to help customers who might be going through a challenging time — or might just prefer face-to-face interaction — while providing other services for the community.
The Wichita-based Integra Technologies plans to build a new 1 million-square-foot semiconductor facility in the area, a $1.8-billion capital investment that will create 2,000 new jobs over five years. The company performs the last half of the manufacturing required to make and test computer chips before they are shipped to become part of devices.
Advocates looking to solve Wichita's child-care crisis convened a small group of local employers Wednesday to identify the needs of working parents and explore possible solutions.

The message from employers was clear — child care is a workforce issue for their companies, and they're willing to help solve it.
The Greater Wichita Partnership, alongside the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas and the Wichita Independent Business Association invite business and community leaders to join us for a "Fentanyl Crisis: The Business Impact" webinar with the Wichita Metro Crime Commission.
The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas was named one of the recipients of the 2023 Leadership Transformation Grants.
Keith Lawing was interviewed on KSN News in regard to the increase for aviation workers in the greater Wichita Area

The interview can be viewed at: https://www.ksn.com/news/local/aviation-jobs-on-the-rise-in-strong-aviation-job-market-in-ict/
One of the most challenging issues impacting both employers and job seekers is access to child care. Over the next few weeks the WA and Child Start hope to meet with business groups, employer associations, and individual companies to discuss available steps to grow the workforce and connect talented job seekers to good jobs. A starting point is the recent expansion of the Childcare Tax Credit in the State of Kansas.
A statewide technology conference next month in Wichita is swinging for the fences.

The Ad Astra Technology Summit, being hosted by FlagshipKansas.tech, is slated for Sept. 12 — with organizers promising a daylong event intentionally designed to educate, inspire and impress.
(WICHITA, KS) The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, USD 259, Wichita State University, and WSU Tech are celebrating the launch of an exciting project with Roadtrip Nation (RTN) designed to engage high school students and job seekers in exploring their career journey with area business leaders, in addition to learning about the variety of jobs, education, and skills training resources in South Central Kansas.
The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, Youth Employment Project (YEP), will host the 2022 Manufacturing Interview Day on Saturday, April 9, 2022, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Future Ready Center, 1437 N Rochester. More than 150 summer internship positions will be available for teens ages 16-19.
The WA released its biannual training report and there are currently 830 persons enrolled in education and supported by over $2.6 million in skills training funds from eight different projects that operate from the Workforce Centers in South Central Kansas. Many of these people in education and training were impacted by lay-offs from the Boeing 737 production pause, or from job loss due to COVID.
WICHITA (October 26, 2021) — The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas (WA) has been awarded $800,000 as part of a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor in collaboration with the Midwest Urban Strategies (MUS) partnership.
For the fifth consecutive year, Bank of America is supporting the WA’s Youth Employment Project (YEP), to assist young adults in finding a first job or work experience opportunity, with a $45,000 grant. Services to young adults through the YEP include assistance with resume creation, job search, preparing for interviews as well as education in soft skills, customer service, and money management.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas is one of 19 organizations awarded funding from the $145 million H-1B One Workforce Grant Program, to invest in training the workforce of the future for critical industries such as Information Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, and Transportation.
The Workforce Alliance is pleased to announce that President and CEO Keith Lawing has been appointed by National Skills Coalition (NSC) and Business Leaders United for Workforce Partnerships (BLU) to serve on a national Manufacturing Panel that will advise the Biden administration on its “Made in All of America” initiative and related policies.
The National Fund for Workforce Solutions announced awarding a $130,000 grant to Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas to equip workers with the digital access, literacy, and skills they need to secure and grow in economy-boosting jobs in a rapidly changing labor market.
In early 2020, the Workforce Alliance (WA) of South Central Kansas
commenced a strategic planning process leading to a two-year plan for the local workforce development area. This plan will help guide the projects, operations, and initiatives of the workforce development board.
The Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas is partnering with Lily Wu of KWCH Channel 12 to bring quality jobs to the forefront of job-seekers minds in her series "Building You."
Article Categories: Employment Opportunities
WICHITA, Kan. – For the fourth consecutive year, Bank of America is supporting the Workforce Alliance Youth Employment Project (YEP). This year, Bank of America has given a grant of $50,000 to assist young adults in finding their first job or work experience opportunity.
Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas Receives Grant through Midwest Urban Strategies
The grant will support the expansion of services to persons reintegrating after incarceration in three
communities: Wichita KS, Kansas City MO, and Pittsburgh PA
The Workforce Centers of South Central Kansas will close July 3 and resume virtual services July 6.
EL DORADO (June 3, 2020) —The Butler County Workforce Center will reinstate in-person services on June 8, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Butler Workforce Center closed to the public in March 2020 and began providing all workforce services to employers and job seekers through online platforms, telephone contact, and virtual communication.
The government has incentives for small business owners who want to avoid laying off staff.
Article Categories: Resources
Wichita Wind Surge looking to Fill over 300 Positions
Article Categories: Hiring Event
A new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will identify the key motivations for small
businesses to design better jobs for their workers.
In 2019, the Helping Youth Prepare for Employment (HYPE), a Youth Employment Network, was formally established through collaboration of community partners including the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, the City of Wichita, the Greater Wichita YMCA, USD 259 and Wichita State University. These partners are joining forces to leverage resources and align services to achieve significant community impact.
Chief Elected Officials Meeting Notice
This opportunity is available to the first 40 individuals who earn the Aerospace Structures Basics Certificate and apply for the Assembly Mechanic position with Spirit Aerosystems.