Springfield Business Journal_2019-02-25

by Kyle Boaz · kboaz@sbj.net Prime Inc. has a new fleet captain. The national trucking company earlier this year named Kevin Bergman as its director of fleet maintenance for all terminal locations in the United States. “I wanted to make a change and get more on the business side,” he said. Bergman previously worked in the informa- tion technology department. Now, he oversees Prime’s fleet of 6,500 trucks and 11,000 trailers that operate nationwide. He’s been in the role on an interim basis since July 2018, following 10 years as operations and IT development officer. “For a company like Prime, it’s a pretty big job,” said Tom Crawford, president and CEO by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net With roughly 19,000 people released an- nually from prisons through the Missouri Department of Corrections, state and city of- ficials are renewing a focus on programs that ease offenders back into the workforce. The DOC’s Office of Reentry Services has taken a closer look at how best to assist peo- ple moving from prison to civilian life. Shelle Jacobs, re-entry coordinator, said it’s impera- tive the program addresses reoffenders, which annually ranges in population from 30,000 to 32,000 statewide. She said Missouri in 2017 ranked as the eighth largest prison population nationwide. “Missouri is at a critical state right now. If we don’t do something to turn this tide, we’re going to have to build new prisons,” Jacobs said, adding Gov. Mike Parson mentioned in his Jan. 16 State of the State address he has no interest in constructing new prisons. “We need to get better in helping people with the transition from prison to the community.” Jacobs said employment is a key compo- nent to offenders avoiding a return to prison. According to the state DOC, 69 percent of offenders who’ve never had full-time em- ployment will return to prison in two years. However, that number drops down to 23 percent for those who’ve previously been $2.00 · SBJ.NET FEB. 25-MARCH 3, 2019 · VOL. 39, NO. 32 by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net During the MOmentum State of the Workforce survey results luncheon Feb. 20, a cooperative spirit and willing- ness to explore a variety of workforce development programs was stressed as methods to address workforce devel- opment challenges in the Ozarks. About 325 people attended the fifth- annual event at White River Conference Center, where Springfield’s Workforce WES HAMILTON WES HAMILTON Prime Fleet Maintenance Director Kevin Bergman says the company plans to get into tire-shredding and expand its container business. D evelopment Director Mary Ann Rojas a cknowledged that this year’s survey results have many similarities to the previous year. Hiring difficulties were mentioned as one of the area’s mirror- ing the 2018 survey, with 67 percent of respondents reporting struggles filling positions over the past 12 months. Last year’s response was 66 percent. “The secret ingredient to a strong workforce is finding qualified talent,” Rojas said. “But the real way to make a difference is to start preparing to- morrow’s workforce by providing our children with a solid education today.” Data from the confidential survey covers recruitment, employee reten- tion, education and workforce readi- ness. Its results allow the Missouri Job Center to assess needs of employ- ers, and identify workforce issues and challenges in a seven-county region. She said the Ozark region, consisting of Greene, Christian, Dallas, Polk, Stone, Taney and Webster counties, is well served by strong early childhood edu- cation programs and solid K-12 school districts. About 20 districts participate in the Greater Ozarks Centers for Ad- vanced Professional Studies program, which allows high school juniors and seniors to develop professional skills through various employment areas. Mary Ann Rojas with the Missouri Job Center announces recruitment statistics from the MOmentum State of the Workforce survey. See PRISON on page 50 See SURVEY on page 54 See FLEET on page 55 Prime’s new fleet director looks to diversify Learning from MOmentum Hiring difficulties continue to be a problem for employers, survey reveals An Untapped Workforce Kevin Bergman moves from information technology department to the business side State and city programs aim to transition people from prison to employment 2019 PROGRESS EDITION ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 21