Catalyzing Economic Growth in Kansas and Western Missouri
CATALYZING ECONOMIC GROWTH IN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI CUSTOMIZED TALENT SUPPLY CHAINS:
JULY 2025
EnterpriseKC Thought Doc |
www.enterprise-kc.com
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OVERVIEW
In today’s global economy, the most powerful catalyst for accelerated regional economic development is the timely alignment of workforce capabilities with enterprise needs. At EnterpriseKC (“EKC”), we operate on a foundational belief that workforce-ready talent development is a key economic growth driver. By producing talent that meets the needs of regional Enterprises and businesses, we not only fill open jobs, we also unlock the economic prosperity of the entire region. In an era where workforce talent defines competitive advantage, EnterpriseKC is pioneering a transformative approach to regional economic development through the creation of an economic development operating system. A key element of the operating system is what we refer to as a Customized Talent Supply Chain . Customized Talent Supply Chains are powered by three integrated software platforms: the EKC DataSphere , the TalentSphere , and the Heartland Cyber Range . TM TM TM TM Collectively, these systems form an agile and intelligent model that reimagines talent development using a dynamic, data- centric, and industry-led approach. The goal is to drive enterprise growth, reduce brain drain, and establish a new standard for workforce readiness and regional prosperity in Kansas and Western Missouri.
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THE PROBLEM: IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT TALENT AT THE RIGHT TIME The “currency” of economic development is jobs. The more high impact, high opportunity jobs that are created in a region, the greater the prosperity of the region. Despite significant investment in traditional economic development models, many regions—including Kansas and Western Missouri— often struggle with mismatches between workforce-ready talent supply and enterprise demand. Inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated data, siloed systems, and slow academic adaptation hinder workforce readiness. The result? Missed opportunities, talent flight, and sluggish enterprise growth. Today’s job matching systems are largely transactional, relying on keyword-based searches. These systems seek to identify “well-qualified” talent based on keywords in resumes, degrees, and certifications. For most jobs and particularly for high demand, high opportunity jobs, these systems: Ignore Talent Attributes
Degrees and certificates matter, but attributes are often the best predictor of success. Qualities like growth mindset, curiosity, problem-solving ability, perseverance, and analytical thinking frequently characterize high performance and long-term job retention. Overlook Well-Potentialed Talent Individuals who may lack traditional credentials or have taken nontraditional career paths but demonstrate strong potential.
As a result, Enterprises and business cannot find the talent they need, when they need it. And well- potentialed and well-suited talent are locked out of high opportunity jobs.
REIMAGINING TALENT PRODUCTION USING THE MANUFACTURING METAPHOR EnterpriseKC uses a manufacturing metaphor to define the workforce ecosystem. Elements of this system include:
Enterprises and Businesses = Demand Units:
Academic Institutions = Manufacturing Plants:
Talent Units = Raw Materials
These are the hiring firms that define the specifications—i.e., the precise knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) and attributes they need to grow and thrive.
Raw materials being turned into a well-
Universities, community colleges, and commercial training providers act as production lines turning
qualified, well-suited, and well-potentialed finished
products that meets demand unit needs.
raw materials into "finished goods" (graduates).
EnterpriseKC tackles the talent matching challenges head-on by creating an operating system for cluster specific customized supply chains that are highly responsive to Enterprise and business demand.
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COMPONENTS OF A CUSTOMIZED TALENT SUPPLY CHAIN EnterpriseKC has developed a series of integrated software platforms, that together form the components of a customized talent supply chain. Elements include:
THE DATASPHERE: REGIONAL WORKFORCE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM
The DataSphere is the region’s integrated analytics platform—a single source of truth aggregating real-time data on open jobs, KSA requirements, employer demand, academic capacity, and labor market dynamics. Its functions include: Product Specifications: Captures and codifies employer-defined job roles and required competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) using standardized occupational classifications. Inventory Analytics: Includes data on all production plants, including program offerings by cluster. Capacity Planning: Tracks graduation rates and credential completions across all education and training providers to determine potential gaps between supply and demand. Production Planning: Provides a near real time view of open jobs by role and by cluster to create demand forecasts and insights to production plants to align curricula with industry demand.
TALENTSPHERE:THE TALENT DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL
The TalentSphere operationalizes the supply chain, including: Demand Instantiation: Enterprises and businesses define what they need in job- ready formats, and TalentSphere distributes the most appropriate candidates in real time. Assessment Tool: Psychometrically valid tool to identify well-suited and well- potentialed aptitudes that align with industry demand. Talent Exchange: From the talent side it acts as the product distribution hub, matching talent to opportunity through an ecosystem of mentorship, internship, and full-time opportunities. From the demand side, the platforms allow enterprises and businesses to generate curated lists of well-qualified, well-suited, and well- potentialed talent.
HEARTLAND CYBER RANGE: REAL WORLD LEARNING & QUALITY CONTROL ENGINE
The Heartland Cyber Range ensures the end product—talent—is tested, refined, and validated before deployment: Learning Management System (LMS): Offers stackable, competency-based self- paced and instructor led-training tied to industry standards. Initially deployed for the cybersecurity cluster, the LMS is architected to support curricula for any cluster. Simulation Engine: Provides real-world, scenario-based hands-on learning. Again, the architecture allows cluster-specific simulation engines to be deployed in support of real-world learning and the creation of workforce ready talent. Credential Validation: Verifies performance through demonstrable skills under real- world simulated conditions, validating workforce readiness.
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CUSTOMIZED TALENT SUPPLY CHAIN – CYBERSECURITY CLUSTER
The following graphic depicts the Customized Talent Supply Chain EnterpriseKC created for the Cybersecurity Cluster. Demand Units – regional enterprises, businesses and other entities create profiles and talent specifications within the TalentSphere. Machine learning and AI functionality within the DataSphere capture open cybersecurity jobs, job profiles containing knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as inventory level and capacity to produce. Talent Production Orders, containing forecasts by role and specifications are shared with academic and commercial production plants. Raw materials - in the case of cybersecurity includes students, adult learners, transitioning military, gamers, the neurodivergent and blind and visually impaired communities, and individuals participating in Scouting all tend to have high aptitudes for successful careers in cybersecurity complete their training at academic and commercial production plants or directly within the Heartland Cyber Range and enter their profiles into the TalentSphere. Demand Units can search for well-suited and well-potentialed talent and use the simulation functionality of the Heartland Cyber Range to validate the quality of a candidate’s qualifications. While the example shown here represents a customized talent supply chain at the cluster level (Cybersecurity Cluster), EnterpriseKC also supports customization at more granular levels. A fully customized talent supply chain can be developed for a specific Demand Unit, allowing for highly tailored talent identification, development, and validation aligned to an individual organization’s strategic workforce needs.
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BEYOND CYBERSECURITY: A SCALABLE APPROACH While the initial customized talent supply chain was built for the Cybersecurity Cluster, its architecture is entirely extensible. The model can be applied to any other cluster by:
Integrating cluster-relevant assessment tools into the TalentSphere based on attributes that industry tells us indicate high performance for a specific cluster. Building cluster-relevant learning curricula and simulation environments akin to the Heartland Cyber Range. This modularity allows the customized talent supply chain EKC created for cybersecurity to serve as a template for other clusters.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF TALENT SUPPLY CHAINS Accelerated Regional Enterprise Growth - By shortening the time between enterprise demand and workforce readiness, customized talent supply chains empower “just-in-time” hiring, reduce the risk of the wrong hire, and accelerate growth. 1
Attract and Retain Talent - Illuminating career options at regional enterprises helps stem the outmigration of talent graduating from regional academic institutions and transitioning military resulting in regional brain gain. Inclusive Prosperity - Undiscovered talent from underserved communities gains access to high-value jobs.
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ECONOMIC IMPACT: A MODEL FOR REGIONAL COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE A well-functioning customized talent supply chain can have a compounding effect:
Faster enterprise formation and growth through faster access to workforce-ready talent.
Improved retention of graduates & transitioning military through clear career pathways.
Enhanced diversity and inclusion by connecting talent from rural and overlooked communities to high-opportunity roles.
Regional competitiveness by becoming the destination of choice for enterprises seeking a ready, resilient, and right-fit workforce.
CONCLUSION: FROM THEORY TO PROSPERITY EnterpriseKC’s vision for workforce-ready talent development is not a theoretical blueprint—it is part of a scalable operating system already in motion. With the DataSphere providing enterprise intelligence, the TalentSphere functioning as the fulfillment network, and the Heartland Cyber Range ensuring real-world learning and quality control, Kansas and Western Missouri are positioned to outpace peer regions in workforce-ready talent delivery, enterprise growth, and job creation. The economic future belongs to those regions able to produce and deploy workforce-ready talent with precision and speed. Talent that meets the needs, and supports the accelerated growth, of enterprises and businesses across the region. EnterpriseKC and its regional partners are building that future—today. 6
ABOUT ENTERPRISEKC
EnterpriseKC is a business-led 501(c)(3) think-and-do tank dedicated to accelerating enterprise growth, innovation, and the creation of high-value, high-opportunity jobs that drive measurable economic returns for Kansas and Western Missouri. Through data-driven insights, cluster-centric strategies, and a team of smart, creative, results-oriented associates, EnterpriseKC systematically identifies, supports, and accelerates the growth of enterprises, innovation, and high value jobs that bring with them regional economic prosperity. By focusing on firms that drive dollars back into the region, EnterpriseKC is helping to build an economic future where regional enterprises thrive, communities prosper, and regional talent flourishes. EnterpriseKC’s newly expanded headquarters is centrally located at 11150 Overbrook, Suite 200 in Leawood, Kansas. For more information, please contact us at 1.913.728.0133 or visit our website at www.enterprise-kc.com.
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