Forward Janesville - TheReport -Third Quarter 2022

If you knew there was a pipeline fueling the next 5, 10 or 15 years of talent into your business, would you rest a little easier? I think most business owners would. Supply-chain disruptions are on everyone’s mind. In my opinion, the most serious long-term threat to our economy is not supply-chain management: it’s talent shortage. Rock County’s got talent, and we’ve been great at exporting it for years. Keeping our talent at home has been a tough challenge – I know, as I am one of the many that once left with the notion that home had nothing to offer – but now return to careers, family, and an incredible, revitalized place. They call us “Boomerangs”, and we like what we see here now – Wisconsin’s Great Outside, parks and more miles of the Ice Age trail than any other city in Wisconsin, a respectable farmer’s market, free summer weekly music concerts, a criterium bike race, a world-class waterski club and an NAHL hockey team. Notable restaurants like the Drafthouse, night markets, and shops like the Garden of Eaton and Velvet & Tulle are bringing outsiders to our downtowns to find out what the buzz is all about. Young people value a thriving downtown, and Janesville’s is not only affordable, but is filled with opportunity. So how do we keep more youth from leaving in the first place? That’s where YOU, our area business leaders, can take cues from today’s supply-chain constraints; look to stockpiling young talent assets and create transition plans from the senior generation to transfer knowledge to younger brains. You get what you plan for: Where and when are you starting your talent recruitment process? While some area students will be heading off to a 4-year college, the majority are not - there’s a notable trend in the younger generation seeking less student debt by heading into the workforce early, seeking training in the trades, or securing a two-year associates degree. The good news is you can find your talent pool at the same place: our local high schools, and it all starts with a phone call to the high school Career Coordinator (CC) . They are a wealth of knowledge of the students and programs available and will encourage students to look at your business – that is, IF they know about your business – remember that phone call. CCs partner with our area training providers like Blackhawk Tech and UW-W at Rock County, and are aware of a host of pipeline training opportunities that follows. Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Program is a one or two-year program for high school juniors and seniors. During the apprenticeship period, students work on site and earn credit toward high school graduation while receiving hands-on work experience and exposure from a worksite mentor. How will this Benefit my Business? By giving high school students a practical workplace experience, you will be shaping Your future workforce. This program gives your business access to motivated young workers who are eager to learn and have interest in your field of work. The summer Rock Internship Program accelerates personal and professional skills development and career-related exposure for rising high school seniors. How will this Benefit my Business? This structured, earn-and-learn model will provide students with a meaningful, career pathway experience that will serve as a foundational element of their Academic & Career Plan, thereby, positioning students for future academic and workplace success. The Rock Internship Program is a collaborative talent development offering supported by many area participating employers, Blackhawk Technical College, Rock County 5.0 and the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board. Blackhawk Technical College’s IDEAL Scholars Program . IDEAL scholarships are awarded to low-income students of color who are first-generation college students. The scholarship includes a paid internship to an area company in the students’ career field. How will this Benefit my Business? This program allows companies to support nontraditional students, to increase employee morale and company loyalty, and to employ ambitious people who want to broaden their horizons. Want a straight path to students before they head off to higher-ed? Each high school has programs to challenge those heading to a 4-year college, and Janesville Craig’s Elevate Program is one example for business leaders to invest a little to gain a future talented rising star, and the way inside can take many forms, from: • Hosting projects for Elevate teams to dive deep into and expand their knowledge base while solving tough issues and developing business acumen, • Mentoring Elevate students about their post-high school goals, and • Coaching and technical advising to help students overcome Elevate project obstacles. Where can I learn more? Grab the QR code on this page to connect with all the workforce and talent pipeline resources available to employers in Rock County including the high school CC contacts. 4 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M Fuel Your Talent Pipeline Angela Pakes, P.E. • President and CEO • angela@forwardjanesville.com 1 . Identify your company's long-term goals and needs. Do you need those with a 4-year degree, 1-2 year apprenticeship, or someone with 2-year associates degree? Entry points to each of these areas can start with the programs here available to our area high school students. 2. Assess your talent pool and develop a candidate sourcing strategy to fill your pipeline. What key skill areas will you be losing in the next 2 to 10 years through attrition? Start investing in those skill areas now by connecting senior employees with passionate youth through the programs described in this article. 3. Establish contact with new candidates. Connect with area high school Career Coordinators so they know about your company’s workforce needs and can help make connections with students. 4. Nurture the candidates in your talent pipeline. You never want to run out of talent, so take lessons learned from supply-chain management to the way you manage your education and workforce partnerships. Start with a clear link between talent and business strategies, identifying the jobs on which your competitiveness depends. As end- customers of talent supply chains, organize your preferred network of partners – high school CCs, Blackhawk Tech and UW-W Rock County – for supplying the talent needed to fill these jobs. 5. Prioritize ongoing training and development. Keep investing in your talent like your IRAs and 401Ks: the long- term dividends will be mutually beneficial. 5 STEPS TO CREATING A TALENT PIPELINE A healthy talent pipeline ensures that you have strong relationships with candidates who can either fill a current organizational need or a future one. Angela Pakes, P.E.