Great Jobs KC CEO: We can end poverty in Kansas City

Business Journals

15-05-2025

Poverty is not an intractable problem; it can be eradicated here in Kansas City.
It will take time, effort, monetary investment, creativity, patience and the good-heartedness to work with people who may not seem like natural allies. But fortunately, all those things exist in Kansas City, and it is in the interest of every single person in the region to try. I believe the tools to do this are here right now. We just need collaboration and the will to do the work.
The parameters of the challenge are clear. There are 670,000 people in the metropolitan area living in poverty or struggling to make ends meet, according to the Brookings Institute. We have what it takes to help those 670,000 adults and children move from poverty to economic prosperity.
The seeds of the solution lie in other facts about our community, which is that Kansas City is home to a vibrant and growing economy with thousands of jobs it is struggling to fill. There are tens of thousands of good paying jobs to be filled in health care, IT, construction and advanced manufacturing, to name only a few.
Panasonic gave a vote of confidence to our region with the high-tech battery factory it's completing in DeSoto. This project is projected to eventually employ 4,000 skilled workers and has already created construction jobs building housing in the area for many of those workers. Health systems have thousands of job openings. Good-paying tech jobs are increasing, with cybersecurity job openings poised to grow rapidly this year in the region. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to Kansas City next year, which will create another economic boon.
All of this is evidence of what a fantastic place Kansas City is to live. It's also one of the 10 most affordable major cities in the United States. The pieces are here, waiting to be assembled.
Another critical tool to ending poverty in Kansas City is also already available — no-cost, quality job training that is customizable for particular industries and employers, with services that help those who enroll finish the training and succeed on the job. I know it's available because the organization I lead, Great Jobs KC, has already successfully trained over 10,000 workers in Kansas City and is ready to train more eligible and willing candidates. Several important groups that have shown their willingness to lead and collaborate are the KC Chamber of Commerce, the Area Development Council and the Mid-America Regional Council, which are connecting their members with Great Jobs KC to help businesses get workforce support and streamline hiring for scholars.
Access to quality health care is another key to ending poverty. We have some of the best hospitals in the nation and in the world here in Kansas City. And as more adults secure jobs that include full benefits for themselves and their families, the more we can improve health outcomes for all.
These tools permit a solution that's different from the usual answers. I'm not talking about solving poverty with a higher minimum wage or solely relying on charity. This is about harnessing a thriving economy to lift up, train and support those who need and want good jobs, all while accelerating economic growth within the region and prosperity for all.
Training people so they can fill and succeed in real jobs is cost-effective and benefits all of us. Great Jobs KC graduates have already earned an additional $57 million, and the economic ripple effect of that extra money circulating in the region is vast. Taxpayers benefit with more people contributing to the tax base and fewer needing assistance to get by. The generational benefits to the region will be enormous, in the forms of economic growth and increased hope.
Of course, there will be obstacles. Cost of housing is a big one, so a thoughtful housing strategy must accompany an investment in workforce development. Smart housing policies require committed and resourceful political leadership.
Ending poverty will also require strong leadership from our business and political leaders. They must be willing to lead by example, as they did in San Antonio, a metro area of similar size to ours. There, the mayor and business leaders got behind a 0.125% sales tax to fund economic development and raised $200 million for workforce development.
Education, affordable housing, access to health care, safety net supports, good jobs and hope can end poverty. It costs Great Jobs KC about $5,000 to get a scholar ready for success in the workplace. If our goal is to get 670,000 adults and children out of poverty, we're looking at a price tag of about $1.7 billion. It sounds like a lot — but between government, business and our generous philanthropic community, it is entirely possible. And the return on this investment will be tenfold.
If the possibility exists to make poverty a relic of history, we should do it. We have ideas, obviously, but would never claim to have all the answers. We would love to hear your responses on how to end poverty in Kansas City. Reach out to Great Jobs KC through LinkedIn and Facebook. Together, we can do this.
Earl Martin Phalen, CEO of Great Jobs KC, is dedicated to transforming Kansas City's workforce. Under his leadership, Great Jobs KC provides tuition-free career training, connecting over 5,000 individuals to high-demand industries. A collaborator with businesses and training partners, Phalen focuses on building a skilled, diverse pipeline to fuel economic growth.