Billings is a vibrant place to build a lifestyle, develop a career and experience adventure. Better Off in Billings is our unified voice to share our story and culture, and an economic tool designed to elevate our community and its people.
This year we are taking our one day Better Off in Billings Event and extending it throughout an entire week! A week to talk about all things Billings! We will kick off the virtual event week Monday, April 19th and go through Thursday, April 22nd.
On the final day we will be announcing 2 WINNERS for our Better Off in Billings Giveaways packages. Check out the events page to see what cool prizes you as an attendee can win. (HINT: the more sessions you attend, the more your name will be put into the hat for the drawings!)
M |10:00 am | State of the Workforce/Workforce trends | REGISTER
Barb Wagner, Chief Economist/State of Montana will provide a State of the Workforce address. An overview of Montana followed by a look at the Yellowstone County Economy and Workforce. In addition, the session will talk about workforce trends, what we are seeing present day, and what is forecasted. Followed by a session of Q & A!
T | 10:00 am | Talent Attraction – Learn From Local Recruiter and Real Estate Professionals | REGISTER
2020 was CRAZY! Being in MT, we were fortunate to not have to experience lockdown the same way our big city friends did. We weren’t the only ones that realized Montana is a pretty cool place to be, we saw a large influx of newcomers into our state, and into our community. To tell us all about 2020 and what’s projected for 2021, we have local experts joining us to tell us all about it!
This session will be facilitated by Better Off in Billings Ambassador, Colton Welhaven, Buchanan Capital Inc. and feature:
· Jason Leininger, Realtor, Leininger Real Estate of the Real Estate Hub
· Julie Seedhouse, Realtor, Century 21 Hometown Brokers
· Jackie Minick, Provider Recruiter, St. Vincent Healthcare
· Amy Schneider, Human Resources Director, Sanderson Stewart
T | 2:00 pm | Aligning Education with Workforce Needs | REGISTER
One of the four goals of BillingsWorks is “Alignment with Education: Ensure the alignment of education and training systems with current and future workforce demand. Promote educational opportunities to community partners and communicate demand/need for potential workforce.”
This session features local experts in the education and business sector to tell us all of the cool and innovative things going on in their worlds that relate to aligning education with workforce needs! Be prepared to leave this session with new ideas that you can implement in your organizations and new ways you can connect your organization to the education sector to build your talent pipeline! Q & A to follow!
This session will be facilitated by BillingsWorks Steering Committee Member, Dan Carter, Exxon Mobil and feature:
· Katie Meier, Teacher of Medical Careers at the Career Center |Importance of high school level programs and trainings
· Jamie Hovey, Tax Manager at Wipfli | Robust internship program
· Dean Vicki Trier, MSUB City College | Statewide partnerships they are creating to develop relevant career pathways
· Liz Ching, Department of Labor | Apprenticeships and the importance of trades
· Joshua Toenyes, Cardsetter | Entrepreneurship, Tech, Code School
W | 4:00 pm | Community Happy Hour – Space2Place Grant Announcement | REGISTER
Join us, virtually for a local brew for our community happy hour! Our community development department will be announcing the 2021 Space2Place micro-grant award winners.
Register early to get your Better Off in Billings 2021pint glass and a beer on us. Details are in the registration. Pint glasses are limited, registration required.
Each year Big Sky Economic Development sponsors a micro-grant competition for creative placemaking. Groups, organizations, and individuals within Yellowstone County are encouraged to develop and submit their ideas for how they can transform a public space in Yellowstone County into a beautiful, lively, and welcoming place.
Thursday | 10:00 am | Build Beyond – The intersection of Community Development & Workforce Development | REGISTER
This last session will be all about connecting the dots from everything we heard throughout the week! We will be talking about the importance of community amenities and culture that help retain and attract talent! This session will be facilitated by Steve Arveschoug joined by a 2021 Space2Place Grant Award Winner and an individual who now calls Billings home. Talking all things of what make up a thriving community!
We will also be announcing the TWO lucky winners for our door prizes! YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS SESSION!
Don’t forget that by attending each session, you are automatically entered to win ONE of TWO Better Off in Billings Giveaways!
Don’t forget to check out our events page to check out ALL of the sessions we will be featuring this week!
