Economic development is a moving target.
In Chamber Today, published with Monday's News Tribune, Greg Bexten, board chairman of the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged the "ever-changing economic climate."
His comment follows a story published in Sunday's edition reporting more workers are opting for freelance or contract work as opposed to the traditional 9-5 full-time job.
The chamber board and its economic partners, including Jefferson City and Cole County officials, are developing a new strategic plan.
A significant challenge is that they are doing so amid a shifting economic landscape.
The case can be made that economic development is continually in flux.
That may be true, but we also have heard it said that we are living in a time of economic upheaval rivaled only by the advent of shipping lanes (the path to international trade) or the Industrial Revolution.
In an attempt to narrow 60 priorities to 20, information is being gathered from speakers, surveys and a variety of sources.
Among points that have been made:
• Although state government provides stability for the local economy, the state workforce is likely to decline through retirement and attrition.
• Manufacturing no longer can be relied upon as a mainstay for employment.
• An estimated 60 percent of new jobs will require STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills - skills possessed by only 20 percent of the existing workforce.
• Job seekers increasingly are looking for a dynamic community populated with creative people.
Focusing on the last point, Bexten wrote: "These facts represent a huge shift in how we need to approach economic development, and elevate the importance of focusing on "quality of place' and "talent' as major components in our strategy plan."
This focus represents and reinforces an ongoing strategy to attract young professionals, guide interns and support entrepreneurial efforts.
The shift in economic development is happening. Resistance is both futile and counter-productive.
To remain what Bexten calls "a vibrant community," we must welcome and adapt to economic development changes.