Area business leaders, educators and legislators will take part in a summit next week to discuss job creation and economic growth in south-central Kansas.
The Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP) policy summit will include experts discussing the regional economy, increasing exports, and jobs. Senior administrator Keith Lawing says leaders will consider initiatives related to economic growth. Lawing says south-central Kansas needs a real strong regional strategy.
"One community cannot go it alone, and even though Wichita certainly has a dominant footprint in the region, their success is very dependent on the success of our neighboring communities," he says. "And I think those are issues that will be real obvious and very prevalent in the discussions at the summit."
Business leaders from Texas will discuss training strategies to help businesses improve their workforce and attract skilled workers to their companies. There will also be a discussion on the economic impact of the health care industry in the region.
REAP is comprised of 27 city and county governments in nine counties of south-central Kansas. Sedgwick County is no longer a member of REAP. Commissioners voted 3-2 last February to withdraw from the regional economic group after the majority of commissioners questioned whether the county’s participation was worth the cost of yearly dues.
The summit will take place at Wichita State on November 12.
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