It’s not too late to learn job skills, no matter your age. There’s help, Kansas City | Opinion
It’s been a long time since Kansas City was Cowtown, USA. It’s a different city now, with a different future. But the clearest view of tomorrow keeps an eye on the past, and this city’s history as Cowtown shows us that innovation, inclusion and education will lead us to a vibrant future.
A century and a half ago, city visionaries bet big on the innovations of the day. Railroads and cattle stockyards were the seeds of this metropolis on the Missouri River, and they helped build the wealth, culture and dedication to education that lives here to this day. The stockyards may be gone, but the will to innovate remains and education will be the fuel that powers it.
I know as well as anyone how difficult it is to invest in education. I’ve been involved in education reform all my life, and I know how valuable a degree is to securing well-paying, meaningful employment.
I also know it’s important to define education broadly. Many people think of post-secondary education as something to be found only on a college campus. And while a college education is the surest boost to a person’s lifetime earning potential, it is not the only self-improvement tool available. College is not the answer for every person, and a smart and supportive job training program can transform a person’s life.
Indeed, almost a third of college students started their academic careers well into adulthood, sometimes even in their 50s. This is particularly true of Black scholars, and it makes sense: People from underserved communities must prioritize earning over learning. It’s not until they are on stable economic footing that they can afford to improve themselves.
But as the Brookings Institution showed recently, this is truly a case of better late than never. Those who start college late initially lag in earnings — but they can catch up.
Great Jobs KC, the education nonprofit I lead here, can help any Kansas Citian improve their economic status. Our organization offers scholarships both to young adults and older scholars returning to their studies, and provides job training to strengthen the skills and confidence of workers. In all cases, we provide mentoring and family support to ensure that those who start the journey of self-improvement reach their destination.
One of the features of this city that makes it so great is its vibrant diversity, where more than 100 languages are spoken. It is a place where people of many backgrounds and many cultures learn from each other and come to rely on each other. It’s a strength that Great Jobs KC seeks to supercharge by investing in a workforce that draws on the willpower and yearning for improvement that live in underrepresented communities.
We have seen, year after year, that scholarships and job training do so much more than help individuals. They lift up families, especially when these programs include social supports that ensure success. They strengthen communities, by plugging a brain drain that leads people to seek opportunity elsewhere — or worse, to not seek it at all.
Great Jobs KC’s goal is to enable 50,000 Kansas City area residents to find great jobs that fulfill every person and create a renewed spirit of innovation and community in the region. I’d encourage any of our neighbors to check us out. With your involvement, this will again be a city that innovates and attracts the nation’s best and most hopeful from across the country.
Cowtown USA did that in the late 1800s. As we close in on the first quarter of this century, a city that embraces education and values workforce training — and cares for all in the community, like any winning team does — will be unstoppable once again.
Earl Martin Phalen is CEO of Great Jobs KC, formerly known as Kansas City Scholars, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarship aid and job training to adults seeking meaningful careers.
