Employers Looking To Fill Jobs

In the rural town of Milbank, the high school is one place employers are going to keep jobs filled in the future.

"There's just quite a few people from the community that come in and talk about certain jobs available in the community," senior Abigail Snaza said.

They're also told about what training would be required for that job and whether it leads students to a tech school or four-year college.

Abigail Snaza is about to graduate from Milbank High School and plans to come back one day.  At the Grant County Development Corporation, Executive Director Bobbie Bohlen would like others familiar with rural living to come to this area as well.

"If a person is used to that and has grown up with it, we're more likely to be able to attract them and keep them here. So we're targeting our market toward that," Bohlen said.

Officials recently completed a study to find out what employers in the Milbank area need. Now they're developing strategies to respond.

"We have to have a partnership. It has to be not just the businesses looking for people but that the community understands that in order for us all to grow and prosper here the community truly has to be involved," Bohlen said.

Community leaders expect more job openings as people retire. They hope to convince students like Snaza to come back and fill them.

"It's a small town. I think kids these days want to be in bigger cities. There're more opportunities in bigger cities but I think Milbank has a lot of opportunities," Snaza said.

The development corporation says it's working on plans to address the labor issue and will announce those in the future.

Watch the full story about the work being done by Grant County Development Corporation on Keloland.

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