ROBERT PIERCE

   • Leader & Times

Every year, many high school students begin the process of deciding what they want to do for a career.

Also every year, the Western Kansas Career Showcase (WKCS) hosts collaborative events across the region connecting local employers with high school students.

Recently, WKCS hosted such an event in Liberal, and among the employers at the event was Seward County, with Human Resource Director Angela Johnston showing young people some of what is available in terms of careers at the county.

Johnston said youth from ages sophomore to seniors were on hand for the event, and she added WKCS Director Joe Coles and his team organized the day thoughtfully beginning with small group informational sessions in the morning.,

“In the afternoon, it transitioned to a more interactive format where they could ask questions and get more information about things they were interested in,” Johnston said.

Johnston said the Liberal event went well, with a good turnout from students, employers and colleges in the area.

“The kids were positive and engaging,” she said. “They asked questions. They made eye contact. They were all very polite. The morning sessions allowed kids to learn more about the different career paths, and the afternoon provided valuable opportunities for more direct interaction and meaningful questions.”

Along with community colleges in the region, officials from Kansas State University took part in the day’s activities as well.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been over for some time now, and at this time, Johnston said the region’s workforce remains quite stable, but still tight.

“Employers are competing for talent, especially here in Southwest Kansas where we’re limited, and events like the job fair are really for us to connect with young people and show them the opportunities that will really help feel gaps in our local workforce,” she said. “A lot of the careers we offer, some of them had never even thought of or heard about before.”

Even though, the recent showcase had a short turnaround leading up to it, Johnston said she was able to highlight the county’s administrative office, and she was joined by several sheriff’s deputies throughout the day.

“In addition to highlighting the careers in law enforcement, I spoke about the full range of opportunities we have here at the county and the variety of career paths,” she said. “I talked about all of our departments. Even though we didn’t have representatives from every department and we don’t have open positions in all of them, we did discuss all the departments the county offers, and many were very surprised the county has so many different departments and carries out so many functions.”

Johnston called the WKCS an extremely valuable recruiting tool.

“Events like this allow the employers to connect with students early,” she said. “We get to introduce them to career paths they had previously not even thought about, heard about, and we get to start building relationships before they even enter the workforce. We encourage them to reach out to us if they have questions and to get more information on things they’re interested in.”

Youth often do not have their minds made up about a career path at the ages the WKCS targets, and Johnston said putting an exact number on how many students had made a firm decision the day of the Liberal showcase is difficult. What was seen, though, was a high level of interest and curiosity.

“They asked really well thought out questions,” she said. “I’m not sure how many of them left with a final decision of where they wanted to end up or what they wanted to go into, but the event definitely plays an important role, exposing them to all the opportunities they hadn’t previously thought about or even given the information into ones they had.”

Overall, Johnston said the most important ingredient an event like WKCS brings is awareness.

“Even if their interests change, helping students understand the range available to them right here in Seward County is a critical step in helping them make their future decisions,” she said.

Johnston too said having local opportunities available for students encourages them to stay close to home, be with their families and help grow their communities.

WKCS events are hosted in communities throughout the region, and Johnston said having a showcase in Liberal was huge for both the county and the community.

“It was at the Ag Building, which is Seward County’s own building, but I think it reinforces Liberal and Seward County’s commitment to investing in its future in our workforce in the future and our children,” she said. “We’re helping students to see they don’t have to leave the area to find rewarding lasting careers, and it helps place our town as a leader in supporting economic growth, building partnerships and creating a stronger pipeline between education and employment, giving them that leap from one to the other and showing them what’s available there.”

Johnston said events like the recent Liberal showcase are vital to growing a workforce.

“We have to have them,” she said. “It plays a key role in retaining talent and recruiting talent to support long-term economic growth. Without getting our young people involved, it’s hard to sustain our economy.”

With aging populations a large part of many communities in the region, Johnston said getting young people involved in the workforce is a must.

“When students are able to see firsthand the variety of careers we offer, different departments they can go into and the different things they would be doing each day and how they can connect directly with employers, it helps change their perception,” she said.

Today’s world finds many young people leaving their hometown to find opportunities, but Johnston said some of those same opportunities can be found in Western Kansas.

“We just have to educate them,” she said. “Retaining the local talent strengthens the workforce, and it helps us as employers fill critical roles, which in turn supports businesses, stability and growth. Over time, that contributes to a more sustainable local economy and stronger more resilient Seward County.”

Overall, Johnston said she was quite impressed with what she experienced at the recent WKCS event in Liberal.

“I think working with kids that age can be hit or miss,” she said. “They could be tired, or they could be super engaged, but I think the event was really well organized.”

With WKCS events, Johnston said Coles does a good job of scheduling and making small groups available to make the showcase more interactive. She too said students at Liberal’s event were very engaged.

“They made great eye contact,” she said. “They all came up and shook our hands before and after, and they paid attention very well.”

Likewise, Johnston said it is very encouraging to see young people ask thoughtful questions, not just generic questions, about what each county department does and how they can be a part of that and really exploring different career paths.

“The event itself reinforces bringing education and workforce partners together,” she said. “It’s a strong step forward for us towards building sustainable talent and supporting the long-term success of the community. I think it’s 100 percent necessary.”