Reflecting on Nebraska's Future  –  Kandace R. Miller, President/CEO, AIM Institute 

Over the past nine months, I have had the pleasure of participating in Leadership Nebraska, a state-wide program designed to identify, educate, communicate with, engage and inspire Nebraska's current and emerging leaders to strengthen Nebraska.  To this end, we have traveled across the state gaining insight into the unique issues facing Nebraska’s communities.  We’ve talked to CEOs, farmers, students, government officials, small business owners, and educators — from Omaha to Scottsbluff and a number of places in between.  It has been both refreshing and encouraging to be reminded of the resourcefulness and spirit of the people that bring opportunity and prosperity to our communities.  However, a nagging theme that has been repeatedly articulated is labor availability — the need to retain our youth, recruit new citizens, lure back ex-Nebraskans, and keep our existing high-quality workforce relevant.

This labor trend has been recognized over the past year by a number of national studies as well as by the AIM Institute.  As Dr. Robert Sweeney, our founding CEO, documented in his 2006 study, Academic Disciplines & Employment Trends, our state faces significant labor challenges in the coming decades due to retiring “baby boomers,” low population growth coupled with robust economic growth, migration of younger students to the larger metropolitan areas, and a declining number of youth pursuing college degrees or advanced training.

Nebraska is well-positioned to tackle this issue.  As evidenced by initiatives such as Leadership Nebraska, ours is a community that understands the value of partnerships.  No one organization, program, company, or individual can address this issue alone.  Organizations must work together to leverage our strengths and find creative solutions to:

• Further develop the technical skills of our existing workforce.

• Engage and train segments of our population that are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

• More fully invest time and energy in students at all levels to maximize their personal potential and their future contribution to our economy.

• Inform people around the nation about the success and vibrancy of our region, so that they are encouraged to move here or return.

AIM will continue to work with our friends and partners around the region to build a strong workforce.  Our careerlink.com recruitment web site, our youth development programs, our information technology training, and our rural economic development initiatives all serve to further our community development mission.  If you are not already, I hope you will consider becoming a partner with AIM in one or more of these important initiatives as we work toward expanding these efforts in the coming years.  I would also encourage anyone interested in economic and workforce development at the state level to consider participating in Leadership Nebraska (www.statechamberleadershipnebraska.com) — it is only by working together that we can ensure our region’s continued success in the global economy.