NetWork Kansas initiative to aid Kansas businesses in remote work and entrepreneurship
NetWork Kansas alongside the Kansas Department of Commerce, announced it will be expanding programs to bring computer science connections to more Kansas areas.
The initiative promises to address issues connected to working remotely, underemployment, and skills development that have been on the forefront the past few months. The primary objective of this project is to create a single resource hub that will not only provide workforce development tools (starting with K-12 education), but also to serve as a support mechanism for employers and entrepreneurs in the Kansan tech sector.
Nick Poels, formerly the Economic Development Director for Phillips County, will head up this initiative. Poels will soon be joining the NetWork Kansas team in response to the growing need for locally accessible computer science training and certification, and the development of remote employment opportunities across the State of Kansas. The project will continue to build upon existing partnerships in both the public and private sectors as a way to identify and provide solutions for existing development and recruitment difficulties.
Poels will serve as the NetWork Kansas Director of Remote Work and Entrepreneurship.
“This exciting initiative aims to both expand and diversify our primary industries across the State, through the sustainable development of tech education, certification, and job placement.” Poels said, “I believe that Kansas currently has a wonderful opportunity to embrace remote work as a feasible and impactful means to grow talent and leverage economic growth. Likewise, I’m excited to join the team at NetWork Kansas as their proven track record of entrepreneurial resource and vision has played a considerable factor in business and community development over the past 15 years.”
Sarah LaRosh, NetWork Kansas Product Manager for Rural Entrepreneurship in the Western Region adds “Working with the Entrepreneurship (E-) Communities in Western Kansas, I have seen the impact of entrepreneurship and place-based thinking. I look forward to working alongside Nick, and many others in the public and private sector, to make Kansas a leader in this arena.”
The Kansas Department of Commerce was quick to partner in this mission, after seeing firsthand how the pandemic has affected so many Kansas business owners and their employees.
Kansas has experienced unprecedented levels of unemployment and business losses due to COVID-19, and the Kelly administration is aggressively launching growth and recovery efforts through Commerce’s Framework for Growth—a timely statewide economic development plan and the Governor’s Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas (SPARK) Task force charged with ensuring Kansas families and businesses get the resources they need to recover from the economic damage of the coronavirus.
These efforts will encourage optimal actions on ways to improve health and economic outcomes across Kansas.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many Kansas businesses to deploy creative solutions, with the ability to work from home or from remote offices becoming more and more critical for businesses to continue operation,” Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary David Toland said. “The potential to provide remote opportunity for all Kansans, on a diverse and inclusive platform, requires serious analysis and decisive action. Commerce is excited to fund this initiative and partner with NetWork Kansas, as well as many others throughout the public and private sectors, to help advance technical education and make remote work a viable opportunity as often as possible."
For more information about this initiative or any questions you may have for how this may impact your area, call 877-521-8600 or email [email protected].
