{"id":8971,"date":"2026-09-22T15:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T20:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/?p=8971"},"modified":"2026-09-22T14:38:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T19:38:23","slug":"attracting-and-encouraging-young-workers-in-todays-competitive-climate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/22\/attracting-and-encouraging-young-workers-in-todays-competitive-climate\/","title":{"rendered":"Attracting and Encouraging Young Workers in Today\u2019s Competitive Climate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BY BRIAN PFANNES, PRESIDENT, STEEL KING INDUSTRIES<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

AS THE LEADER<\/strong> of a material handling business, a question on my mind every day is, “How do we bring in that next generation of talent to lead our organization?” I know from talking to my peers that I\u2019m not alone. A big reason that we\u2019re thinking about it so much is because the answer is neither simple nor straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact is that our industry doesn\u2019t have the mystique of some other fields, such as the big tech companies that spend so much time in the headlines. But we know that we have a lot to offer to different types of workers, from trades\u2011based workers to those in technical and professional positions. We can never take it for granted, though. It takes a lot of commitment to make sure young people know that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, we have many partners and paths that can help us along the way. And because we have so much to offer for those with their eyes on sustainable, long\u2011term careers, we can make our case whenever the chance arises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two distinct components to our efforts, and one is in the area of trade careers. For far too long, there has been a massive emphasis on getting young people onto the same, one\u2011track path\u2014grade school, high school, college. The reality is, there are many great\u2011paying jobs in the trades waiting for workers with the interest and training to take them. I\u2019m particularly attached to this because I owe my career to starting in the trades, paying my way through school by taking on work in the residential construction field. It\u2019s difficult to overstate how rewarding it is to learn with your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To me, a critical, often\u2011overlooked piece of getting students involved in trade careers is effective outreach to their parents. It\u2019s vital to get parents to understand when their children are in high school\u2014even grade school\u2014 that trade careers offer tremendous benefits. We want them to understand that their children can learn skills that transfer directly into careers that will always be there for them. When they understand that, they will no longer have the knee\u2011jerk reaction of steering them away from trade fields and instead will encourage them to take a closer look at them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, I am very hopeful that we\u2019re seeing a groundswell of support for the trades and a deeper understanding of their possibilities. Often, the most effective efforts are built around trade schools that are embedded in communities. In our Wisconsin town, Mid\u2011State Technical College\u2019s AMETA\u00ae<\/sup> Center was built with both state funds and private dollars from businesses in the area. It was driven by the pressing need to develop talent in the trades. It is also important for businesses and technical schools to work closely with high schools to ensure they recognize the opportunity for great careers\u2014and plenty of work\u2014in trade fields. When high schools are on board, it\u2019s very powerful.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click here to read the full article.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ANDREY_POPOV\/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM<\/a><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY BRIAN PFANNES, PRESIDENT, STEEL KING INDUSTRIES AS THE LEADER of a material handling business, a question on my mind every day is, “How do we bring in that next generation of talent to lead our organization?” I know from talking to my peers that I\u2019m not alone. A big reason that we\u2019re thinking about …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":8972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,12],"tags":[4123,442,1902,1907,466,936],"class_list":["post-8971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-departments","category-human-resources","tag-apprentice","tag-mhi-solutions","tag-mhi-solutions-magazine","tag-mhisolutionsmag","tag-supply-chain","tag-workforce"],"yoast_head":"\nAttracting and Encouraging Young Workers in Today\u2019s Competitive Climate - MHI Solutions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/22\/attracting-and-encouraging-young-workers-in-todays-competitive-climate\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Attracting and Encouraging Young Workers in Today\u2019s Competitive Climate - MHI Solutions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BY BRIAN PFANNES, PRESIDENT, STEEL KING INDUSTRIES AS THE LEADER of a material handling business, a question on my mind every day is, “How do we bring in that next generation of talent to lead our organization?” I know from talking to my peers that I\u2019m not alone. 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