Meet your future workforce and their influencers

Megan Raposa -

This is a paid piece from the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

Simplified: The next generation of workers is coming in with clear goals, industry-specific experience and a desire to work in a place that gives them a sense of purpose. Meet the Sioux Falls young adults who will be sharing what they want employers to know at the WIN in Workforce Summit later this month.

Why it matters

  • Several high school and college students will participate in the seventh annual WIN in Workforce Summit hosted by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. The summit kicks off the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
  • The first scheduled talk for the summit is titled "Meet Your Future Workforce and Their Influencers," in which these young adults will discuss their career aspirations and share what they're looking for in future employers.
  • The panel will also feature South Dakota State University Men’s Basketball Coach Eric Henderson and Augustana University’s Head Football Coach Jerry Olszewski. Both men will share their perspectives and their takeaways of what they’ve seen the next generation looking for in a workplace/employer from their position as coaches. 
  • Largely, the next generation is looking for more than just punching a clock and collecting a paycheck. Roosevelt High School senior Sha'Vell O'Dell, for example, wants to become a respiratory therapist and work in a place that treats its employees as well as its patients.
"Having empathy for your workers makes it easier for people to come to work and feel safe there," O'Dell said. "They feel able to take the next steps (in their career) and safe to have tough conversations with employers."

What's unique about this generation?

It's hard to generalize, but for O'Dell, at least, a big advantage she's had is growing up at a time when schools are increasingly working to connect what kids learn in a classroom to what they'll face in future careers.

O'Dell will be joined on the panel with O'Gorman High School student Ava Guzzetta and Augustana University freshman Morgan Putzier, who hopes to become an elementary school teacher but also has aspirations to run her own business someday.

"I've always been interested in being involved in the community and helping the next generation learn and grow," Putzier said.

All three young women are coming into their postsecondary years with clear career goals in large part because of the opportunities they had in high school to test out working in different industries.

  • Both Putzier and O'Dell benefitted from the Career Connections program – a Forward Sioux Falls and Sioux Falls Development Foundation-sponsored program that helps hundreds of students each year connect with hands-on job experience and learn from people working in a variety of industries.
  • O'Dell said she's even been able to do job shadows with local nurses. Now, she's taking classes at Southeast Technical College while still working toward her high school diploma.

For Guzzetta, her biggest career influences are her family and teachers. Her father's career as a lawyer, and her grandfather's career as a physician have her deciding between careers in law or medicine.

  • Wherever she lands, it's important to her to make a difference in her community. She and her sister last year organized a tribute to fallen military service members, and she's hopeful that speaking at WIN in Workforce will give her a chance to get more people involved in that effort.

Tell me more

The next generation of workers is also looking for employers who care about them not just as employees, but as people.

"I'm looking for an employer who has a sense of understanding, and that the place I'm working has a sense of belonging," Putzier said.

O'Dell added that she'd also like to see an employer who's willing to recognize personal goals as well as career-focused ones.

"I think about my future – having a family, things like that," she said. "When I have a kid, will that job support me with choices of taking leave and then coming back?"

Guzzetta emphasized the importance of work-life balance as well as giving back to the community. She's also looking for a workplace that will push her to develop her own skills.

"I am competitive and like challenges, so these environments are ideal for me," she said.

How can I get tickets?

You can get tickets here for the one-day summit, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.