Chair Message

BY NICK LAMBROW

Solving some of our state’s workforce development issues can sometimes feel like calculus, when really all we might need to use is basic arithmetic. Let me explain.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to members of the State Chamber’s Delaware Young Professionals Network (DYPN) at one of their 2023 planning meetings. I was impressed by their professionalism, connectivity with each other, and the questions they asked. It was clear they were eager to learn and grow.

At some point during the conversation with the ~20 members of DYPN’s planning committee, it struck me: I’m looking at the future of our workforce here in Delaware. These are the future leaders of our businesses, community, and government.

Members of the DYPN networking on Wilmington’s new Quoin Hotel rooftop. Photo by Nicholls-Pierce & Company.

For those who aren’t familiar with the DYPN, it is a network of ambitious young professionals whose mission is to provide professional development opportunities through business networking, civic engagement, guest speakers, and events. They build leadership skills, learn about challenges and opportunities facing Delaware’s business community and, of course, expand their networks. This group is not only the State Chamber’s future, but also your company’s future.

Helana Rodriguez, who manages the DYPN, told me: “Don’t underestimate us. We’ll surprise you.”

Perhaps that’s what we’ve done for some time now. Perhaps we’ve underestimated the people under our noses.

When searching for top talent or needed skills, we often look outside our organizations to find the answer. Sometimes those searches take us outside Delaware or even the mid-Atlantic. Instead, the answers to those staffing challenges could be sitting inside our own organizations, waiting for an opportunity to show they can learn, lead, and serve.

To be sure, the struggle to recruit and maintain a talented workforce is real. And yes, sometimes it does require us to look outside the boundaries of our state and search far and wide to find the right candidate. Some jobs require that level of recruitment. But many of them don’t.

My visit with DYPN reminded me that leaders of Delaware’s businesses today must continue to support and foster the growth of their talented employees now. We can’t overlook or underestimate the impact our employees can make on Delaware’s workforce today and in years to come.

We all know the State Chamber plays an important role in helping develop Delaware’s workforce. The DYPN is one way they are doing that. Intern Delaware is another.

If your business doesn’t have an intern participating in Intern Delaware or doesn’t have a young professional in the DYPN, consider how you can get your business and your employees involved. At M&T Bank, we’ve supported Intern Delaware for years and benefited from the growth our interns have experienced through the program.

When you do the math, the numbers will tell you that developing your own talent is cheaper than losing an employee and going outside the organization to find a replacement. Next time you need to solve for a talent or skills gap in your business, start by considering whether a simple equation will result in the right answer.

Nick Lambrow is regional president for M&T Bank in Delaware.