Recruiting good labor means investing in our youth

Many business owners’ comment that good help is hard to find, nobody wants to work anymore or why are young workers so lazy, as they try to recruit and retain employees. Labor shortages during the pandemic left many supply chains lacking the employees needed to move their products along. As a coach of the ROCORI FIRST Robotics Program (FRC) I’ve realized that programs like FIRST teach real-world skills in Business, Manufacturing and Engineering. These skills set the students up for the future with experiences they can use in almost any career.

So how do we recruit and retain these talented young people? We offer them a pathway to success into the industry we love. It starts by opening doors in educating young people. And lasts by including these kids in the business and community culture. I think the best way to get ahead of the recruitment problem is to invest our time and money into raising the next generation that truly knows how to work and takes pride in what they do. That means you and me investing in our communities’ young adults.

The FIRST Robotics season starts now. Current students and community members interested in joining should plan to attend the 2023 game reveal at Kickoff January 7th. Sign up at www.rocorirobotics.com. Businesses are also welcomed to become a team sponsor.

Jay Femrite ROCORI High School FIRST Robotics Coach