Workforce

Talent and K-16 Relations 2019 THE YEAR OF CHANGE

The Fox Cities Chamber is committed to supporting and facilitating education and business partnerships that promote student success, workforce development and a high quality of life for all residents learning, growing, working, and playing in the Fox Cities region. We recognize that a skilled workforce of tomorrow relies on high quality education today, and investing in synergistic partnerships is the model for success. Changes in 2019 In 2019, we changed the focus from K-12 to K-16, re-invented existing programs and added new programming to enhance education/business interactions and partnerships. The Your Future Fox Cities web platform had a sunset date of June and the Your Future Live Career Expo was re-imagined and renamed Future Fox Cities for March 2020. New programming added in 2019 included Fox Cities Days, regional college recruiting events at Michigan Technological University and Bay College, internal management of Smart Girls Rock STEM programming, and creating the first annual Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards program. The Talent Collaborative funding model was dissolved and changed to feebased programming (per student) for schools and investor/sponsor and member/non-member fee-based programming for employers.

Your Future Live Career Expo 2019 (Now Future Fox Cities 2020) The last Your Future Live was held in March 2019 and served over 3,000 regional students in 8th through 12th grades. The two-day career expo attracted approximately 70 employers from all six career clusters to allow students to explore careers and college opportunities offered in the Fox Cities region. Students visited interactive employer booths and learned about higher education options in the region. This event aligns with the goals of school districts to provide academic and career planning for students, and employer goals for developing and attracting future talent.

The newly named event for March 2020, Future Fox Cities, will incorporate new career-based learning information, resources and opportunities, as well as a new Career Counseling Toolkit for students/teachers/counselors to use prior to the event. New employer profiles and a resource webpage were developed for employers, parents, educators and students. Visit the Fox Cities Chamber website for more information at http://foxcitieschamber.com/talent/future-fox-cities-foxcities-chamber/ Fox Cities Days 2019 Regional College Recruiting Events Destination Fox Cities! The Fox Cities Chamber took the show on the road in September and October to make a regional impression on students at Michigan Tech and Bay College. Employers joined forces to attract new talent to the region and to showcase the Fox Cities as a great place to live, work and play. We broke the record for the number of students “tapping” into the CareerFEST tent at Michigan Tech (almost 600!) and found great candidates ready to graduate and enter the workforce in 2019 and 2020. This event was such a big hit with Michigan Tech students that we were invited back in 2020 and asked to bring more employers. Employers who participate in Fox Cities Days 2020 will also receive a discount on registration for Michigan Tech’s large Career Fair. Save the date for Fox Cities Days, Michigan Tech, on September 9, 2020! Registration will open in April 2020.

Smart Girls Rock 2019 The Fox Cities Chamber was excited to be asked to take ownership of the Smart Girls Rock (SGR) event and helped celebrate the event’s five-year anniversary. The original event was founded by Tiffany Carter in 2015. Menasha Corporation hosted the event this year, which featured 28 female mentors working in STEM careers from nine different Fox Cities employers, and approximately 80 freshmen and sophomore girls from 15 school districts. Mentor stations featured software applications, emergency room diagnostics, interventional radiology, augmented reality welding, forensic science, 3D modeling in construction, graphic and structural design, printing, financial planning, aircraft maintenance, and micro-encapsulation. Are you an employer interested in hosting a future SGR event, or a female mentor in a STEM field interested in inspiring the next generation into STEM? Contact Amy Andersen, Director of Talent and K-16 Relations at amy@foxcitiesregion.com.

Save the Date! Smart Girls Rock 2020 - November 4, 2020

Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards The Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards program is the new culminating K-16 event to recognize the outstanding achievements of educators in the Fox Cities region. This event will acknowledge and celebrate the unparalleled contributions of educators working and shining in Fox Cities schools, colleges, universities and other educational settings. The eight award categories are: Excellence in Early Childhood Education, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Student Services, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Inclusive Excellence in Education, and Educator of the Year. Learn more at http://foxcitieschamber.com/talent/ excellence-in-education-awards-fox-cities-chamber/

You’re Invited! Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards March 5, 2020 - Register at foxcitieschamber.com

Developing the Next Generation of IT Pros

How to Attract Top Talent Nationally, we’re facing a labor shortage—the skills gap is widening, and the national unemployment rate is 3.7 percent. While some industries have larger gaps than others, demand for IT positions is far outpacing developing or existing talent. The unemployment rate for IT positions specifically is 1.3 percent, which is the lowest it’s been in almost 20 years. In May alone, U.S. employers added 75,000 new technology jobs to the market. LinkedIn predicts that IT will be one of the industries that will face the highest shortages by 2030. Northeast Wisconsin is no exception to this nationwide issue. Fortunately, there are several ways you can bring IT professionals to your business (and retain them). Create Awareness While it may seem obvious to advertise an open IT position at your business or organization, in Wisconsin, we face an additional challenge in attracting IT talent. IT professionals may assume there aren’t opportunities in IT since Wisconsin is traditionally well-known for farming and manufacturing. However, our area is home to several corporate headquarters that require IT talent, and manufacturing and farming sectors also need IT support. In fact, industries such as manufacturing and farming frequently have a high demand for IT talent. That means you’ll want to make sure you effectively publicize IT opportunities even if IT isn’t the work for which your business is well-known.

Offer Opportunities for Growth Today’s IT professionals are drawn to jobs in which they can be creative and consistently develop their skills. However, many IT positions require maintaining existing platforms and technology over creating and growing technology, which means employers need to find ways to generate excitement about the position, both during the application process and after hire to ensure employee retention.

Providing opportunities for growth could mean investing in new technology or building a new function of your business. Investing in app development, for example, gives your customers ease of use and creates efficiencies while also tapping into your employees’ creative capabilities. It’s also important to facilitate professional development opportunities such as continuing education or skill-based training to generate excitement for an IT role.

Leverage Location We’re fortunate to be in a part of the United States that has immense opportunity for growth. Our area has excellent public education, affordable housing, low crime rates and is in close proximity to metropolitan areas. Emphasizing these benefits throughout the hiring process is a good way to further incentivize IT professionals (as well as other prospects) to join your team. Be Flexible Offering flex opportunities, the ability to work offsite, or changing the working environment helps you cast a wider net and appeal to applicants who might not be able to immediately relocate or have other barriers to coming into the office. Gen Y prefers flexibility, so reevaluating your work environment can attract the newest generation of IT professionals. Get Creative Newer generations have changing preferences when it comes to reviews, internal processes, and career development. Gen Y, for example, prefers consistent, frequent feedback over an annual review, and is interested in paid time off for volunteering and opportunities for career advancement. You should also reevaluate your internal processes to make sure you’ll retain your employees after hire—will they really want to read through a training manual? Most likely, they won’t. Look for ways you can communicate the information in a unique way that appeals to a new generation. Add opportunities for collaboration. Evaluate the physicality of your building—are there ways to change the environment physically to make it more efficient, collaborative and appealing? Your current employees, regardless of generation, will benefit and notice change, increasing chances for employee longevity and job satisfaction.

It’s All About Setting Your Business Apart Attracting top IT talent really comes down to what you should be doing to attract any top talent: distinguishing your business from the rest. Whether setting yourself apart means creating new opportunities for advancement or changing the physical environment of the workplace, you can get ahead of the talent gap—IT or otherwise—by showing more of what’s in it for them.

Contributed by Angela Creel Chief Human Resources Officer at Jewelers Mutual Group. Angela pursued a career in HR to help others discover and become their best selves. Prior to joining Jewelers Mutual, Creel was the VP of Enterprise Human Resources at Thrivent, and held other HR leadership roles at Bemis Company, Pepsi Beverages Company, and Target. Throughout her journey she has focused on inspiring and enabling others; fostering courageous action while providing the safety to grow; and modeling continuous learning. Creel currently serves on the New North Board of Directors and previously co-chaired a committee instrumental in creating a regional leadership program, The Center for Excellence in Leadership, at St. Norbert College. She holds her B.S. from Florida State University.

Do you have knowledge, ideas or advice to share with other Fox Cities Chamber members? Contact Emily Feagles, Editor, at: efeagles@foxcitieschamber.com about submitting an article. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?