June 5, 2024
Ferris State looks ahead to hosting future Workforce Development Summit events after first one drew rave reviews
Ferris State University is looking ahead to future efforts to serve as a hub for strengthening
the West Michigan economy by better understanding the needs of employers and better
educating and training the workforce that drives it.
The foundation of this work began at Ferris State’s initial Workforce Development
Summit on April 16 in Big Rapids. The summit drew rave reviews from attendees and
inspired greater interest in future events.
Dental Hygiene is one of Ferris State's many academic program options for students
to consider.
Kasey Thompson, special assistant to Ferris State President Bill Pink for innovation
and entrepreneurship and an associate professor in the College of Business, expressed
her enthusiastic support for bringing West Michigan business leaders together to sharpen
the focus for strategies that bring innovative leaders and a trained workforce together.
“Ferris State University is investing in helping Michigan’s economy grow through the
work that we are doing here in Mecosta County. We are just getting started,” Thompson
said. “Ferris State remains excited to continue partnering with community members
and business leaders throughout West Michigan to strengthen our economic interests
through these critical educational and training opportunities. April 16 was only the
beginning.”
Collaboration and open communication are among the central themes of this work relative
to past and future summits.
“Ferris State’s Workforce Development Summit exemplified the power of collaboration,
which started late 2023,” said Kelly Wawsczyk, the executive director of the Mecosta
County Development Corporation. “We invited industries, government agencies, educational
institutions and community organizations to address specific workforce needs effectively.”
Wawsczyk added that attendees particularly appreciated breakout sessions and panel
discussions. She looks forward to those being components of future summits for more
direct engagement in smaller groups.
“By fostering partnerships, summits such as this can create a supportive ecosystem
where stakeholders share insights, resources, and best practices,” she said. “This
was our focus and we nailed it.”
Emphasizing the importance of a region-wide approach, Rachel Gray, executive director
of Hello West Michigan, liked what she experienced as an attendee on April 16. She
looks forward to what future summits can do on topics such as housing, recruiting,
and credit and non-credit educational and training options.
Ferris State's Hospitality Management program prepares students to be industry ready
at graduation.
“The Ferris Workforce Summit was a fantastic opportunity for local companies to learn
about free resources available to them as employers,” Gray said. “There is so much
noise about ‘talent’ in the marketplace that it can be hard for an HR professional
to know where to turn. But the panel of trusted providers at the Workforce Development
Summit cut through that noise and gave targeted suggestions local employers can implement
right away.”
Echoing Gray’s comments, city of Big Rapids Mayor Fred Guenther knows the impact these
discussions can have on a local level. The mayor emphasized that Big Rapids is an
eager partner to find new and innovative ways to support the needs of businesses looking
locally for a trained workforce.
“The big thing we have to do is to get more of our local businesses to attend these
summits to take advantage of the knowledge that Ferris brings to the table in our
community,” Guenther said. “The city wants to do anything it can to help promote the
businesses in our community. If Ferris can be a plus factor in that effort, we believe
this is a win-win for everybody.”
Thompson said Ferris State has faculty with industry experience and expertise necessary
to educate and train students and work with business owners to succeed in starting,
maintaining, and growing a business.
She said Ferris State is committed to opening access to university resources that
can benefit business owners and the West Michigan workforce.
“Communicating directly with business leaders is helping Ferris State identify and overcome the roadblocks impeding economic growth,” she said. “We believe education and training opportunities tailored to the needs of businesses and consumers will take us down a path to greater economic prosperity.”