As students settle into their classrooms, I find myself thinking about their futures and the gaps in our workforce pipeline that our employers face.

A demographic reality is swiftly bearing down on us. Nationally, nearly 11,000 Baby Boomers retire every day, and by 2030, all of them will have turned 65. That is not just a talent shortage.

It is an experience drain: decades of institutional knowledge, relationships and judgment walking out the door – potentially 25% of the workforce in the next ten years.

Employers tell our team they’re experiencing leadership gaps. There’s a missing middle of talent prepared to step up, caused by a combination of frequent job changes among younger staff, the longevity of senior leaders, the math of the demographic cliff, inadequate leadership training and a lack of readiness or willingness among younger talent to climb the ladder.

This is a real problem – for every business’s success and for our civic structures, too.

This is why our Chamber champions internships, apprenticeships and Real-World Learning as economic development tools, not feel-good programs. Need examples of how this is a win-win?

Farmers Insurance Credit Union partnered with the Olathe School District’s Business Finance Academy on a client-connected project to reach the Gen Z market. Students designed financial literacy apps so successfully that Farmers implemented their winning design in their business. AdventHealth Sports Park hosted a Blue Valley CAPS intern who covered major events, including the KU-MU hockey rivalry and the KSHSAA State Wrestling Tournament. Shawnee Mission’s Brookridge Elementary students learned valuable interview techniques from companies including UMB, JE Dunn Construction Company, Johnson County Community College, Atmos Energy, WellSky Corporation, City of Overland Park, Payentry and Downtown Overland Park Partnership.

We’re true believers at the Chamber. Halle, a Blue Valley CAPS intern, rebuilt our photo catalog to enhance our marketing and the new All in OP site. Aishu, from Blue Valley West, built our Opportunity NOW Talent Retention Toolkit from scratch and provided AI training for our team.

The leadership pipeline gap is real. So is our opportunity to close it, one student and one partnership at a time. Contact us to explore opportunities for your business.