Be the Change You Want to See

According to the Emsi Quarter 2 2022 Data Set, Yavapai County’s population is 209,468, and those in the labor force as of December 2021 were 110,085, or about 44% of the total population. There were 107,600 employed (97%) and 2,485 unemployed (2.3%). Statistics show that baby boomers, the 76 million Americans that were born between 1946 and 1964, have been exiting the labor force in record numbers. Yavapai County’s 55 and older population is 120,979 (58% of the total population), while the national average for an area this size is 71,498. Millennials (ages 25-39) in Yavapai County amount to 32,503 individuals, or about 16% of the population. Generation Z (ages 16-24) make up approximately 15% of our population. Across the U.S. in 2020, more than 3 million boomers left the workforce, and there are not enough Millennials and Gen Z’ers combined to replace them.

The Yavapai County Workforce Development Board recently hosted Arizona Town Hall to facilitate a gathering of local employers from around the county to discuss this very issue. The consensus was that everyone is facing the same challenges, not only recruiting labor but retaining it. It’s a job seeker’s market in the world of employment – to be competitive in the market, employers must be innovative with their strategies to compete with growing wages and incentives for retention.

Some of the challenges identified in the Town Hall discussion included the lack of affordable housing and public transportation, rigid schedules, long hours and passing background checks. Misconceptions about what the work will entail was also considered a challenge. Working interviews, which expose the applicant to the realities of the job, and apprenticeships were discussed as solutions for attraction. Young people are very interested in on-the-job experience. Also, social media plays a major role in attracting today’s youth.

It is everyone’s job to attract talent to Yavapai County. People are a great resource, one we can’t take for granted. As generations age out or simply opt out of the workforce, it is on us – employers, educators and mentors – to do the best we can to retain the resources we have in our workers, especially the younger generation. We are a very fortunate county to house two major universities (Northern Arizona University and Embry-
Riddle Aeronautical University) and two community colleges (Prescott College and Yavapai College). These institutions are a great resource for workforce development – keeping our graduates local by making the Quad Cities and Yavapai County attractive and competitive with innovative workforce solutions is the primary goal of the Yavapai County Workforce Development Board.

Our next effort to help fill the labor gap will be to host a Town Hall for job seekers and incumbent employees. It is important to stop “guess-timating” or assuming why individuals are in the labor market and what their needs are so we can pair those needs with local jobs.

How important is it to demonstrate the value of grooming and instilling good work ethics and job skills? Our communities depend on the next generation to build and maintain economic resilience and stability for future generations to come. We have the opportunity to lead by example and by being proactive with the fluid employment trends we see today. A great example is the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) currently underway in Yavapai County, a partnership between local employers, youth aged 16-24 years, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act implemented by the Yavapai County Workforce Development Board and Youth Council. What a great opportunity for young people to earn up to $4,800 during the summer while developing skills and building their resumes for future career opportunities. QCBN

By Teri Drew

Teri Drew is the executive director for the Yavapai County Workforce Development Board.