Key Missouri lawmaker concerned about training deserts and lack of online education resources

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The chairman of a Missouri House interim committee on workforce innovation says Tuesday morning’s hearing in Jefferson City will look at how to best future-proof Missouri’s workforce development pipelines statewide.

The Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Workforce Innovation and Technology will hold the 9:30 am hearing at the Statehouse. They’ll hear testimony from Missouri Chamber of Commerce interim president Kara Corches, state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) commissioner Karla Eslinger and others.

Committee chairman State Rep. Louis Riggs (R-Hannibal) tells 939 the Eagle that additional issues are training deserts, the lack of online education resources and how best to translate regional economic successes to every corner of Missouri that provide jobs that pay what the chairman calls a living wage. He cites the success of the agriculture tech cluster in St. Louis. And Chairman Riggs doesn’t mince words about how Missouri needs to boost funding for community colleges across the state.

“We will also take a look at workforce housing issues and the woeful lack of funding for our community colleges,” Chairman Riggs tells 939 the Eagle.