NWK Economic Innovation Center
Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center announced on March 5 a new, full-fledged program through Rural & Remote.
Rural & Remote, an initiative of Ogallala Commons, is a program that provides job placement support for many different career tracks for people who want to live in northwest Kansas and work for companies across the nation that hire remote workers. Remote positions can include, but are not limited to, marketing, office administration, sales, graphic design, and more. Leads are given to those who inquire and are qualified for positions. It is then up to the Northwest Kansas prospect to follow up with these leads and secure the work. These positions often offer above average wages and benefits, beyond what currently exists in Northwest Kansas.
This Rural and Remote initiative will bring new and increased job opportunities to the Northwest Kansas territory of twenty-six counties that the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and NWKEICI serve. Remote work, also referred to as telecommuting, is work done outside of a traditional office environment. This could mean working from home, a coworking space, or a coffee shop. Over the last 10 years, remote work opportunities have been on the rise, as employers become more comfortable with having remote employees. It is estimated that 43 percent of U.S. workers spend at least some time working remotely. This provides a huge opportunity for people living in rural communities to access higher paying jobs, have more career options than currently exist, and to use degrees and training.
NWKEICI’s Coding Academy is also housed within Rural & Remote. The Coding Academy provides scholarships for applicants who want to stay in Northwest Kansas and learn computer programming through full-time or part-time online training. Computer programmers are in high demand nationally and internationally. Individuals that have been successful in this training are self-motivated, hardworking, open to learning, comfortable with technology, and good at communicating in a timely fashion through many different mediums. Basic knowledge of or experience in html, css, and other coding languages is helpful but not required.
“The Rural and Remote program works toward many of the goals that NWKEICI has for northwest Kansas,” said Scott Sproul, president and CEO of NWKEICI. “We think that the program will give new, higher paying, opportunities to allow people to stay home and come home to Northwest Kansas. We are excited to launch this program and see the changes that it brings!”
“I am excited to partner with NWKEICI and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation to help the residents of Northwest Kansas stay home or come home by being able to work remotely. The economic impact that we have the opportunity to create is tremendous,” said Rural and Remote’s Kade Wilcox.
Partnerships in Northwest Kansas will be essential to the success of Rural and Remote. If you are an employer, parent, grandparent, educator, foundation board member, community member, alumni organization, Chamber, or Economic Development entity that could use Rural and Remote, know someone who would be a good fit for Rural and Remote, or want to help spread the word, contact Wilcox at [email protected]. For more Rural and Remote or to sign up for assistance go to www.ruralandremote.org.