At an annual economic development symposium, experts discussed challenges and opportunities for jobs in the region. While the economic outlook seems positive, there is concern about a lack of higher-paying jobs. New technologies are replacing many entry-level jobs, so education needs to adapt. The director of research at Idaho State University said 48% of current entry-level jobs will be automated in the next 20 years. Speakers predicted several companies will move to the area in the coming year, bringing over 200 new jobs, but the region still needs higher-paying jobs to succeed.

1. Annual economic development symposium gives hope of jobs
on horizon | News
Sometimes I actually have the chance to do business from home inside my home business. There are
lots of advantages to this such as saving cash on gas and lunch. My all-time favorite fantasy about
working from home has to be me in my pajamas having a steaming mug of coffee, legs propped up
while working at my outdoor table or over a terrace someplace looking over the seaside. Back to
reality, I have my personal workplace placed in a tiny bedroom aside from the living areas.
POCATELLO, Idaho -
Regional economic development leaders say the outlook for local economic development is looking
pretty good. But, that outlook isn't looking too hot when it comes to bringing-in higher-paying jobs.
Idaho State University's director of research and development Dr. Howard Grimes spoke to a crowd
of economic development leaders from across the state today during the Bannock Development
Corporation's annual economic symposium, saying there are many challenges the realm of higher
education is currently facing.
One of those challenges is the threat of technology sweeping over more and more entry-level jobs
these days, so students, employers, and the university have to find a way to change the higher ed.
system to move along with the way technology is heading.
"You're not going to be able to just go into college and stay there until you have all of the credentials
you need anymore," Grimes said. "Higher education is going to have to think on a more innovative
level about how to create multiple on-ramps, off-ramps, and back to on-ramps for people as they
move through career development."
Grimes said economic analysts estimate roughly 48% of the entry-level jobs universities are training
students for, will be completely automated within the next two decades.
ISU College of Technology student Gabe Raymond is going back to school after getting laid-off so he
can get a higher degree in order to secure a future position.
"I got laid-off and I got tired of being laid-off and so I wanted a job that has good future growth,"
Raymond said. "I want to make myself indispensable."
He feels as if the instrumentation automation program he's enrolled in at ISU will help prepare him
to learn how to adapt to changes in the future, so he'll be job-secure as industries continue to
change.
Grimes said there are big opportunities in advanced manufacturing here in southeast Idaho and the
university is working to build related infrastructure and integrate that with private sectors such as
the INL.
He said one idea he has been considering is to how to build a curriculum structure so that people
holding jobs can go back into the educational environment in order to take themselves to the next
level to advance their careers.

2. "It's a whole new approach as to how we structure the collegiate and post-collegiate for our
workforce and our students," Grimes said.Â
He one positive aspect that could come from this is that now we will start to see more higher-paying
jobs moving into the region.
And without that higher level of education, we could continue to see a brain drain from students
moving out of the region, or even out of the state, in order to pursue those higher-paying job
opportunities.
"People who aren't thinking about this will inevitably see an exodus of the best talent from their
region," Grimes added.
Bannock Development Corporation director John Regetz said we could expect to see a few new
larger companies move into the area by next year. He said one company will create upward of 80
new jobs and another will create more than 100, while other symposium speakers estimate at least
another 50 new jobs could move-in on top of that.
Although no spoilers have been revealed quite yet as to who these companies are, we could expect
to see the region next to the Pocatello Regional Airport start to flourish next year.
This will come at a time when southeastern Idaho has been grappling with the loss of several large
employers: the J.R. Simplot plant in Aberdeen, Heinz, and even the mail center in Pocatello is on the
chopping block once again.
American Falls also faced a devastating closure of its FMC Corporation, but is in the process of
building the new $1.5 billion Magnida fertilizer plant, which is expected to create ancillary jobs from
that as well.
Yes, the region is seeing a good number of big and small companies moving in, but the concern to
many economic development experts is that we also need those companies to be providing higher-paying
jobs in order for the region to succeed economically.
Many business owners agree that your strategic business plan is vital for long term success.
Surprisingly though, most people who create a home-based business neglect to take this important
step. Is it simply because they never get around to it? Could it be because they don't understand
where to begin? Or is it because they do not have a teacher or coach who will push them and keep
them responsible? Whatever your reason, a failure to take this straightforward step will surely have
devastating outcomes for the fresh business proprietor.