Surveys assess local workforce needs

Mission West Community Development Partners has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct studies that will explore the feasibility of establishing a co-working space. A public survey has been opened to residents in Sanders, Mineral and Lake counties to assess community needs. “We’ve had a positive response from the data results we’ve received so far,” said project manager Zen Parry. “We’re looking at what kind of business resources people need. Is it a physical place, or work, or is it access to training?”

Established co-working spaces in other locations have provided a range of advantages to those communities, which can include a free- to low-cost work space. “We want to find out what the community needs before we build anything,” Parry said. “We have enough results now to see that a co-working space is needed here. It doesn’t have to be a new enterprise; it could be housed in a library three days a week.”

Parry’s background in workforce development and her understanding of the dynamics of yearly income inside an agricultural or rural family household have helped start the conversation around the relationship of remote work in the context of a co-working space.

A second project was designed to look at the need for the training required to work remotely, whether as a small business looking to incorporate these skills into current operations or individuals interested in gaining access to the training that will help them find a job that allows them to work from home. “Companies already have elements of remote worker skills built within their business model,” Parry said, “but the idea needs more focus and connectivity to be relevant.”

Parry also says the training to become a remote worker can be used as a second side job. “I’m not talking about a six-figure job here,” she said. “It’s the opposite end of the spectrum. The training to become a remote worker is geared toward those who don’t necessarily want a traditional career path and are more comfortable with side work. The model is built for someone who can find a job that pays $15 to $20 an hour, who can work certain hours online and who can work from home, pulling in that extra money without having to relocate or commute.”

While Parry says many may believe finding a job to work remotely from home sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. She is currently running a pilot program out of Helena during June that will train a small group of people, giving them the qualifications to find remote work. After the five-day training, the group will be offered employment. Parry gave the example of the company Wayfair, which looks to hire individuals to work from home.

“The more finished surveys from Sanders County we receive, the easier it will be to bring in a pilot program to Thompson Falls,” Parry said. She is currently working with Thompson Falls Job Service and Sanders County Community Development to provide resources to make the training happen.

Another pull for community members to complete the surveys, Parry says, is that funding could allow participants to take the training for free. “Our goal is to not have the participant have a burden for this training,” she said.

Small business owners looking to enhance their technology skills or individuals who want to develop more opportunities that could bring in more money on top of a main job should visit engagemissionwest.com to take two brief surveys and watch the one-minute video explaining the projects.