Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District Executive Director Cassidi Cameron shared KPEDD’s Quarterly Report Presentation on strategies for better discussing different cities’ futures at the Kenai Peninsula Borough’s meeting Tuesday night.
A comprehensive economic development strategy outlines five areas to be focused on: technology and connectivity, workforce and human capital, infrastructure and land use, business climate and entrepreneurship, and regional partnerships.
Cameron says that the Kenai Peninsula economy currently has 11,150 jobs more than it did pre-pandemic, which means it’s trending the state regarding job availability, job creation, and where the community is economically speaking.
“However, there is a caveat. There are not as many employers to work those jobs. And so, as we look at trying to derail the good with the bad…but the negative of not having enough people in the workforce, we’re focusing on trying to build out our workforce development programs with Avtech, Kenai Peninsula College, Alaska Safety Alliance, the State of Alaska, the Department of Energy, and making sure that there are pathways for young Alaskans to pursue and stay in-state and stay in our job market, and contributing once they are ready for the job market, ” said Cameron.
While having a job in the state is extremely important, it’s hard to have a job when you don’t necessarily have a place to live. Hence, this only fixes part of the economy’s situation.
“We are trying to increase the quality of living for the Kenai Peninsula, and that means making sure that these people that are skilled and ready for the workforce have places to live, have childcare services, have transportation, and have the available needs that they need to thrive here, and not just out-of-living wage, and that’s something that [where are] struggling [in],” said Cameron.
Currently, KPEDD is working with the regional chambers to see who has been visiting the community. The goal of observing the data more is to tell people about the area, why they are visiting, learn about what they are doing, and what they would need to relocate to the area.
And if they want to relocate, it would help work towards solving the workplace problem.
KPEDD’s new website is in its final editing stage. It will have a new GIS Hub and showcase additional data, such as services, the US Concesus data services, and transportation listings.
