Young people are exploring their career options and making decisions about their futures well before they graduate high school, and industry is missing a major opportunity to connect with them during this formative period. At a time when Boomers are retiring, population growth is shrinking and skill requirements are increasing, taking an active role in early talent development may be the only remaining solution to meet your workforce needs.

A few ways we might help:

• Train and otherwise support your staff members on education engagement, working with students, managing work-based learning activities, and more.
• Work with you to define your objectives, including models for defining and tracking return on investment.
• Contact and build relationships with your education counterparts in order to foster productive and sustainable “win-win” relationships.
• Build a talent map: Identify all the educational institutions within your region, key characteristics (such as outcomes data or the existence of CTE programs), talent characteristics as available, and key contacts.
• Build a strategy for working with schools, either locally (for chambers or large employers) or nationally (for trade and industry associations) to reach your goals for early talent identification and engagement.