Jewell County is seeking ways to grow and improve. We want young residents to be able to stay in the area and previous residents to be able to move back. The key to providing this opportunity for residents is the ability to work. Rural & Remote is about connecting people in rural communities to remote jobs as a way of creating pathways back home and opportunities for those who want to stay in their communities. Pursuing remote work allows these residents to live in Jewell County and still do what they love.

Rural & Remote is a professional service that provides individuals with the tools and training they need to succeed in remote work to allow them the freedom to live and work where they choose, and then connects them with job placement opportunities.

In a flexjobs survey involving 5,500 professionals, 66 percent said their productivity improved when not in an office and 76 percent said there are fewer distractions outside of offices. A separate report by Workforce Futures mentions that 83 percent of employees feel they don’t need an office to be productive. A Gallup Poll found many urban residents would like to move to a rural area: 27 percent said a rural area would be their ideal community, while only 12 percent responded they prefer a big city.

The ability to support a large influx of residents to rural areas is typically considered through industrial factories moving to the area. However, remote work provides more benefits for both the individuals and communities. According to ZipRecruiter in July 2020, the average salary of a factory worker is $25,6794, whereas the average salary of a remote worker is $66,180. For communities, remote work is a more sustainable business initiative than manufacturing. The success and longevity of factories is directly correlated with demand for products and can strongly fluctuate over time. Remote work is a more stable alternative and can lay a foundation for new small businesses and other continued growth initiatives without the risk of a business closing and leaving hundreds of employees without jobs and large facilities vacant.

Pursuing remote work opportunities is a realistic way to turn dreams of moving back home or relocating to a new, rural area into a reality. Whether a past resident looking to return home or someone looking for a fresh start, Rural & Remote can provide the tools someone needs to be successful. The opportunities for remote workers are increasing, so now is the time to take the leap and pursue a new pathway.

Rural & Remote is funded through the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center. NWKEICI is a private operating foundation that provides economic and entrepreneurial assistance to businesses and entrepreneurs in rural northwest Kansas. NWKEICI has a 26-county coverage area. With its current and future programs, NWKEICI hopes to reverse the outflow of people and businesses from northwest Kansas, as well as work with existing businesses or entrepreneurs in the area. By extending resources to these businesses and entrepreneurs, NWKEICI hopes that northwest Kansas can grow in population and progress economic innovation.

The Rural & Remote process is customized for each individual based on their experience and unique needs. First, interested individuals fill out an application to allow the Rural & Remote team to identify someone’s remote job readiness and provide them the necessary information to start the job placement support process. Depending on the interests, skills and experience of the applicant, there are two types of training courses that follow.

The Coding Academy trains and equips people to become Junior Full-Stack Developers. The Master of Remote Work certificate is a 30-day course that equips people with the necessary skills to be an effective remote employee. One of the many things critical to being an effective remote employee is experience working remotely. Few employers hire remote employees who do not have remote work experience. Through Rural & Remote’s intern and apprentice program, they help people gain important remote work experience.

These are paid positions working remotely for different community partners. When an individual is ready to pursue a remote job, the Rural & Remote team helps support them in the process. They help provide job availability research, resume coaching and support throughout the job application process.

Jenny Russell, founder and owner of JenRus Freelance, is a local example of the opportunities with a computer and an internet connection in rural areas. “It’s always been my dream to come back to a rural area and also take my education and career with me, and up until now, it’s been a little hard to do that in a rural area,” Russell said. Russell has used her education and skills to build a business that brings value to local communities, all of which began as a remote work opportunity.

For those already working remotely, Rural & Remote is building a network of remote workers in northwest Kansas. Their mission is to connect with and identify people who are already working remotely. Their goal here is three-fold:

a) Build community with and for this group

b) Provide Rural & Remote participants who are pursuing remote work examples and models of what is possible

c) An opportunity to connect with employers who already have remote employees in northwest Kansas

If you are a remote worker, please help us out by filling out this form: https://bit.ly/ruralandremote.