The City of Shreveport’s Information and Technology Department and Step Forward are excited to announce SMART CITY WORKFORCE ANALYSIS workshop.
This highly engaging workshop will host representatives from Shreveport’s technology sector to identify skill gaps in the labor market for entry-level workers.
“This is step one in developing a long-term, sustainable economy,” said Mayor Adrian Perkins. “We have to invest in our workforce, so we can compete with other cities in the region. This workshop will help make Shreveport more competitive,” the Mayor concluded.
Identifying vital IT skills that are regionally scarce enables employers and educators to more strategically develop the area’s workforce.
“A Smart City requires a well-trained technology workforce. To ensure our city is poised for expanded growth, Shreveport’s Information Technology Department is hosting an analysis of the region’s workforce needs,” said Keith Hanson, Mayor Perkin’s Chief Technology Officer.
“We have partnered with Step Forward, the International Youth Foundation, NLEP, the Greater Shreveport Chamber, and the Bossier Chamber of Commerce. Step Forward and IYF will use this analysis to work directly with our educators in the region to help meet the demands of local employers,” Hanson stated.
“This workshop will provide us with critical information—local employers’ needs,” says Laura Alderman, Executive Director of Step Forward. “That information will drive efforts to create strategic workforce development opportunities for our community’s youth, and the net result will be that more young adults will have opportunities for sustainable, living wage jobs right here in this community.”
