Anne Lackey, co-founder of HireSmart Virtual Employees, is known for helping others recruit, hire, and train top global talent. Lack of qualified candidates leads to delayed projects, unfilled positions, and growth plans put on hold. Lackey believes that investing in developing tomorrow’s workforce is essential to address this issue proactively.
Lackey advocates for investing in youth to build a strong talent pipeline for the future. She shares the success story of Olivia, a Georgia teen who started a soap-making business with support from a nonprofit focused on workforce development. By investing in young entrepreneurs like Olivia, business leaders can help create future business leaders and innovators.
Lackey provides recommendations for business leaders to actively invest in local workforce development. This includes partnering with schools for career exploration programs, providing work-based learning opportunities like internships and apprenticeships, supporting youth entrepreneurship programs, offering scholarships and grants, advocating for work-based skills in school curriculum, and participating in career signing days.
By investing in the youth through these initiatives, business leaders can play a crucial role in shaping the future talent pool and contributing to the economic prosperity of their communities. Lackey emphasizes the importance of not waiting for workforce development to happen on its own and highlights the benefits of actively investing time, resources, and expertise in growing the next generation.
The return on investment from these efforts may not be immediate, but it will have a significant impact in the years to come. By developing a homegrown workforce, business leaders can secure their talent pipeline and uplift their entire community. Lackey encourages business leaders to think about how they can step up their commitment to workforce development in their communities to help build a brighter future for young leaders.
Forbes Business Council, the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders, emphasizes the importance of investing in workforce development to support the future generation. Lackey’s message resonates with the need for business leaders to actively shape the talent pool by investing in the youth and nurturing their potential to thrive in the careers of tomorrow.
