Opinion: Building the right talent pipeline

Megan Herzog

If you had the opportunity to mold your employees before you hired them, would you want to? Would you find it appealing to influence the technical skills and soft skills students acquire in school? Is it important to you to build brand recognition and employee loyalty for the long haul? All of these are possible when you invest in educational institutions and youth.

The next generation of our workforce is sitting in classrooms today. As industry leaders, we need to seize every opportunity to have a positive interaction and influence their careers before they graduate. We can’t wait for the students to graduate to begin teaching them the soft skills and technical knowledge they need to succeed.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the most recent unemployment rate was 4% in February. Although that’s an increase from the 3% rate last October, it still signifies a tight labor market. With the tight labor market in mind, partnering with local schools isn’t just community service. These relationships are a smart investment in the future of your workforce and your business.

Having face-to-face interactions with students through career days, mock interviews and other opportunities is mutually beneficial to students and employers. Employers can use the interactions to begin filtering out future employees while also providing feedback on student strengths and areas needing improvement to schools. Businesses also begin to build brand recognition and relationships with students early on. When students are seeking their first (or next) job opportunity, they are more likely to reach out to a company they remember from a positive interaction in high school.

The collaboration between industry partners and local education institutions has a significant impact on an industry talent pipeline. By joining advisory boards for high schools, technical centers, community colleges and area universities, you are able to have a direct influence on the curriculum schools use in class. Schools are seeking industry input to help close the skills gap, inform students of career pathways and opportunities, and increase the talent pipeline of prepared workers.

Partnering with schools is no longer optional. It is imperative to develop a competitive, career-ready workforce for the future of Missouri and the construction industry. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Strategic Plan 2023-2024 has an emphasis on stronger partnerships between education and industry. DESE is seeking industry input to ensure students are prepared to enter the workforce with CTE Advisory Councils of CTE stakeholders. Outside of general feedback on curriculum and in classroom engagement, industry partners are also called to offer real-world experiences through internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing opportunities and other work-based learning opportunities. These work-based learning opportunities equip students with the technical, professional and leadership skills needed to thrive after graduation.

Many industries can hire interns or part-time employees to introduce students to the day-to-day reality of jobs. Because there are fewer options for giving students hands on experience in the construction industry before they turn 18, businesses must seize the opportunities to safely offer learning labs.

Investing in students and our educational institutions for all age ranges isn’t something a few businesses can do alone. To truly have an impact in our region, everyone needs to do their part to give back to our students and community. While everyone seems to be sprinting to the next deadline each day, we need to carve out time to focus on our strategic partnerships between industries and education. Reaching out to your local school, the specific program that represents your trade, or your alma mater can give you a stronger passion and commitment for follow through. If everyone is involved in one advisory committee, hosts one student for job shadowing, attends one area career day or even commits to one phone call conversation with an interested student, the ripple effect will be unimaginable.

The future of our industry – and our communities – depends on the partnerships we build today. By stepping up to engage with local schools, we’re not only investing in our next generation of builders, leaders and innovators; we’re securing the future strength of our businesses. Let’s take the next step together: reach out, get involved and help shape the workforce that will build tomorrow’s world.

Megan Herzog is executive director of the Springfield Contractors Association, a member of the Salute to Design & Construction Council. She can be reached at megan@springfieldcontractors.org.