WE WANT TO BE THE BEST.

Missouri has the potential to be an economic powerhouse. To seize this potential, the Hawthorn Foundation, Missouri Department of Economic Development, the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Missouri Development Finance Board are partnering on Best in Midwest and Talent for Tomorrow, two initiatives that will transform Missouri into a top state for economic and workforce development.
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN MISSOURI’S WORKFORCE
Become the Best Place to Live and Work
  • Quality of life
  • Quality of place
  • Attract talent
  • Retain talent
Connect All Missourians with Work
  • Leverage public aid programs to incentivize work
  • Ease the reentry from the criminal justice system
  • Improve access to work for people with disabilities
  • Remove barriers to work, like lack of transportation and family care
​
INCREASE THE PRODUCTIVITY OF MISSOURI’S WORKFORCE
Develop a Labor Market that Works
  • Increase overall educational attainment
  • Increase overall educational attainment for populations and areas with relatively low levels of education
  • Prepare people for work in high-demand fields
  • Offer more certificate and alternative credential programs
  • Ensure that those who hold degrees have the skills expected of people with degrees
  • Align educational requirements with actual job duties
  • Align K-12, higher education, and the workforce system
Work in a 21st Century Way
  • Encourage businesses to adopt technology more quickly
  • Teach people how to use technology at work
Build Infrastructure to Drive Economic Development
  • Improve roads, bridges, ports, and other transportation infrastructure
  • Expand access to high-speed internet
  • Modernize utility and energy infrastructure
  • Connect directly to the world from our airports
COMPETE TO WIN
Work Together/Compete Together
  • Bridge the urban-rural divide
  • Build cooperation among and within regions
  • Partner with neighbor states when it’s to our advantage
Create a New Approach to Economic Development
  • Transform the Department of Economic Development
  • Create a brand that tells our story better than anyone else
  • Support business attraction, expansion, retention, and entrepreneurship
  • Increase exports and foreign direct investment
  • Modernize and improve our incentives
  • Create the easiest state in which to start and operate a business