Tri-City employers need workers and high school grads need jobs. Here’s how they can meet

Walk by any number of Tri-City businesses and it’s clear there is still a labor shortage in the community. The many “We are Hiring” signs displayed on doors and windows are a dead giveaway.

Ever since Washington state first emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic last summer, employers have struggled to fill all their open positions.

But in a couple months there will be a wave of potential new hires ready to roll. I’m talking, of course, about all those high school seniors getting their diplomas in June.

While a significant number of Tri-City teens have their future plans already set — college, the military or trade schools — many are still trying to figure out their path forward.

These undecided young adults most likely will want to enter the workforce fairly quickly, but many won’t have a clue about the varied possibilities available to them.

So the trick is connecting these eager high school graduates with the employers willing to give them a chance.

To help with that introduction, the Kennewick School District is organizing a job fair aimed especially for this purpose, and it will be 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, at Kennewick High School.

This is an amazing opportunity.

I think it’s so amazing, in fact, that I have been helping the school district with this effort for several weeks.

Mostly I’ve been reaching out to business leaders to tell them about the job fair, and trying to convince them to participate.

It hasn’t been difficult to get their support.

And while the event is aimed at helping high school graduates, other students are also encouraged to attend if they are in need of a summer or part-time job.

There should be business leaders from retail and the hospitality sector at the fair, as well as representatives from law enforcement, government agencies, health care, construction, agriculture, the military and others.

Employers who may not have entry-level positions open right now, but who want to add skilled workers to their pipeline also are participating.

There are plenty of students who don’t really know what kind of career they want, and this event is a great way to introduce them to jobs they haven’t heard about before.

It’s also a chance for students to talk to employers in a relaxed setting — which doesn’t happen very often. And if teens have a resume ready to go, that’s a plus. There might even be some job interviews right on the spot.

The Association of Washington Business recently released its survey of the top concerns facing its members, and the lack of qualified workers was among the top three — along with inflation and supply chain disruptions.

With employers needing good help and high school graduates needing jobs, it seems like this is the perfect time for a job fair that puts the two groups together.

This is the first time the KSD has taken on such an effort, and my hope is that the experiment is so successful that business leaders will want to participate year after year.

For now, though, this idea is new and so I’m helping spread the word.

So parents — if you know your student needs a job, please encourage them to check out the KSD job fair on May 10.

And if you are an employer who would like to participate, it’s not too late. Contact Debbie Smith, workforce specialist for the KSD, at debbie.smith1@ksd.org, and she will try to find a spot for you.

I truly am excited to see how this test run turns out.