Kansas – The Kansas Department of Commerce has a plan to improve the state’s economy called Kansas Framework for Growth.
Supported by Gov. Laura Kelly, the framework touts four pillars – talent, innovation, community assets and policy – to take the state’s economy from “stable to soaring” over the next 15 years, according to the KDC’s website.
“Our economic development progress over the past two years has been significant, but an effective strategy does more than focus on the here and now – we must plan for the future and set the stage for sustained growth and prosperity,” Kelly said, as reported by KSAL.
“The Framework for Growth is a bold plan to address current and future trends in our state, while we continue to promote job growth and new capital investment in communities of every size all across Kansas.”
The plan utilizes expertise from 2,000 individuals across businesses, chambers of commerce, and local governments in an attempt to modernize Kansas’s economy.
Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s CEO and President Alan Cobb points out that Kansas is at a place where it needs a plan.
“Kansas has had more than 30 years of slow economic growth and decades more of negative migration,” Cobb told The Center Square. “To reverse those trends, any business leader will tell you that it is imperative to have a well-thought-out plan that recognizes your challenges and shortcomings as well as identifies needed actions if you want to be successful.”
The framework report emphasizes building on the state’s strengths – such as agriculture, manufacturing and logistics – by investing in target sectors including aerospace, e-commerce and technical services to accelerate growth.
By focusing on talent development and retention, and creating new job opportunities through innovation, the state hopes to create an environment where Kansans stay and others come.
“Kansas is in a global battle for jobs and talent,” Cobb said. “We need to remove barriers to growth and seize the opportunities our state has before it. The Kansas Framework for Growth takes the right approach to crafting a new strategy for our state.”
