From Graduation to Great Careers: Why Business Leaders Must Stay Engaged
May Blog: From Graduation to Great Careers: Why Business Leaders Must Stay Engaged
Reflections on Graduation, Community, and the State of Education
We all know it—finding employees is hard. Help wanted signs are everywhere, and conversations about workforce shortages are constant across every industry. But here’s the good news: we don’t have to just wait and hope for better talent pipelines. We can help shape them—right now—through the students who are preparing to launch into their next chapter.
At the State of Education: Preparing the Workforce of Tomorrow luncheon hosted by the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce in late April, local education leaders shared what’s being done to prepare students for success. Panelists Andy Almos (ISD 728), Dan DeBruyn (Spectrum School), and Brad Sellner (Kaleidoscope Charter School) offered powerful insight into how our schools are focusing on more than just academics. Soft skills—like adaptability, communication, teamwork, and resilience—are being embedded into curriculum and co-curriculars alike.
Through mock interviews, job shadowing, internships, career assessments, and hands-on learning, students are being asked to think about their futures earlier—and more intentionally—than ever before. Students at Spectrum can graduate with an associate degree. ISD 728 students have access to career tracks and internships in fields like culinary arts, manufacturing, healthcare, and more. Kaleidoscope’s “Leader in Me” program fosters essential life and leadership skills at every grade level. In the community, employers like Metal Craft, Cornerstone Auto, Guardian Angels, and many others are opening their doors to help students discover what’s possible. To those businesses: thank you. You're not just filling talent pipelines—you’re shaping lives.
It’s graduation season now—the time of year when hundreds of students across our region are asking: What’s next? Some will go on to college. Some to technical programs. Some straight into the workforce. And here’s the hope: that all of them, someday, seriously consider coming back—or never leaving in the first place—because they see opportunity right here.
Years ago, I heard someone say, “No high school student will ever come back to this town for a job.” That hurt then—and it still does. But thankfully, that narrative is changing. Local businesses are stepping up, students are discovering real opportunities, and schools are doing the hard work to connect education with employment.
But we need to keep going. If you're a business owner or community leader, don’t wait to be invited into the conversation. Reach out. Offer to host a job shadow. Open the door for an intern. Speak to a class. Tell your story. Whether you have kids in school or not, your insight and involvement matter.
Because the workforce of tomorrow doesn’t just appear—it’s being shaped today. And we all have a role in that.
Let’s help our young people see that success doesn’t mean leaving this community. It can mean growing into it—bringing back their energy, their ideas, and their ambition. Whether that happens after four years of college or the week after graduation, let’s make sure they know: there’s a future here for them.
