The Sampson County Economic Development Commission is continuing to engage with business leaders throughout their community and educate on the current status of economic development.

On Tuesday Nov. 15, the Commission hosted a business lunch and guided talk about the current state of the area’s workforce at the Sampson County Agri-Expo Center.

The Commission invited guest speaker Ted Abernathy, a management partner of Economic Leadership LLC, a consultancy that is currently working in more than a dozen states to develop economic and workforce strategies to present workforce data compiled by the company.

“I was asked by our County Manager, Mr. Ed Causey, to help him understand what is going on with employment,” said Director of the SCEDC Stephen Barrington. “I reached out to Ted Abernathy directly, to help with this response. Ted Abernathy is long known as a go-to for supporting both quantitative and qualitative requests, and one who can provide a response such that a lay person will understand.”

During his talk titled “Understanding our Workforce Challenge,” Abernathy took a fine-tooth comb to collect data on Sampson County and compare employment related data against national and state averages.

Talking points included:

·   Post COVID-19 employment data by gender.

·   College graduation rates and how that will affect hiring patterns.

·   Projected changes in labor forces by age.

Along with other topics.

The Nov. 15 event is the latest in a list of scheduled business lunches and talks currently scheduled through January of 2023.

The next event is scheduled for Dec. 14 and will focus on manufacturing. Featuring manufacturing leaders in the area, the event will offer an opportunity for leaders to connect and network, share company and industry updates, and learn from a business partner. All events will be located at the Sampson County Exposition Center 414 Warsaw Rd Clinton, NC, 28328