With an ever-changing economy and an increased reliance on technological transformations, we must prepare, recruit and retain our region’s next generation of skilled workers to remain competitive. This is a national issue, as well as a regional one.
A region can only be as strong as its talent. A core tenet of the Regional Business Council (RBC) is the attraction and retention of a talented, diverse college-educated workforce. Our Mentor Network and Young Professionals Network (YPN) were developed to achieve these goals.
We launched YPN in 2008 to attract and retain young talent in our region; our 3,500 diverse professionals are now participating in social, philanthropic, cultural and professional development opportunities. This multidimensional workforce is our region’s future; as we mentor them, they are becoming engaged in the fabric of our community as well.
While continuing our mission to cultivate diverse college educated talent, the RBC will also focus time and resources to support students and young adults who are interested in gaining technical skills to pursue careers in the trades, manufacturing, IT, healthcare and construction industries. Many of the specialized training programs in these fields can be finished in as little as six weeks to two years and offer well-paying careers upon completion.
In anticipation of this growing need, the RBC, in collaboration with other organizations, has funded and created partnerships with programs such as: the Urban League’s Save Our Sons which provides job training skills to young men in our region; transformative school systems like KIPP St. Louis that provide the foundational and character skills that are necessary for students to succeed in their careers; the Jennings School District, which provides innovative ways to expose students to different career opportunities and apprenticeships; and NPower, a training program for young adults seeking training in IT to pursue a career in technology.
Not only is it important that we support programs that offer specialized training programs, but we must also expose a broad base of our youth to these promising careers.
Fortunately, we already have excellent industry-specific training programs we can support and highlight from educational institutions like Ranken Technical College and St. Louis Community College. We must address the fundamental issue to engage and recruit students, parents and school counselors to understand the opportunities that these schools and industries offer for skilled workers.
We’ve taken the steps to address this issue by working with area school districts to invite educators and counselors to local businesses to see first-hand how these careers can offer competitive starting salaries, increased job variety and opportunities, and even a different pathway to higher education.
We know the benefits of a well-educated and well-trained citizenry are not only seen in the workforce, but are also experienced in the community, improving overall quality of life. St. Louis offers many quality-of-life advantages and a plethora of job opportunities. If we work together, we can continue to ensure our region’s prosperity for future generations.
Kathy Osborn is president and CEO of the Regional Business Council.
