Ten years ago, Wichita received some unwelcome news: The city faced four large challenges. In addition to lagging business and entrepreneurship performance along with perception problems, The Chung Report noted the city’s difficulties in retaining young talent. As young people decided where to live, they often didn’t feel Wichita was a place where they could thrive economically and professionally.
Press release provided by the Kansas Department of Labor
[Topeka] – The Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), in collaboration with Geographic Solutions, has launched Today’s Occupations, Tomorrow’s Opportunities (T.O.T.O.), an innovative career exploration platform designed to help students and career changers navigate their professional paths.
Students in Kansas are gaining real-world banking experience at their schools. Student-run banks provide opportunities for high schoolers to bring their coursework to life. Plus, many leverage their experience to gain clarity about and even launch careers after school.
Story and photos by Joe Vinduska
After graduating from Barton’s Construction Tech program in just one semester, Great Bend native Brecken Carroll immediately found employment and started earning a living as part of the window installation crew at MPIRE Improvements of Great Bend.
If you asked anyone in Oakley, Kansas, to name one of the town’s most unique treasures, chances are they’d direct you to the Palace Theatre. But what is it that makes this local spot so special? Aside from having a spooky secret, the theater is run entirely by the town’s high school seniors.
These aspiring entrepreneurs are gaining hands-on business management experience while providing a space for the community to enjoy. They handle everything from acquiring films and coordinating concession staff to managing finances.
Starting in middle school, students often have an array of extracurricular activities to choose from — athletics, music, drama, robotics and much more. In the 2023-24 school year, 26,032 Kansas high school students — a record number — joined organizations designed to foster career exploration and skill development.
Those 26,000+ Kansas students are into something that could lead them to a high-demand career!
Story by Joe Vinduska
Courtesy photo by Chelsea Mitchell Photography
Kansas 4-H and HirePaths are now sharing career-related content to help youth learn about high-demand jobs and skills related to Kansas careers. As part of this partnership, many activities from the Kansas 4-H’s Clover Classroom library are now available on the HirePaths Free Lesson Plans page and the Activities for Kids section of the website.
An innovative work-based program is helping the Wichita ecosystem by granting businesses access to affordable marketing services while also providing Wichita State University and WSU Tech students with hands-on experience in web design, graphic design and more.
ShockStarter is a student-run digital marketing agency where students work with real-world clients to provide a variety of marketing services. The students also gain skills and build portfolios to help advance their careers after graduation.
Nurturing entrepreneurial talent encourages kids to think creatively, rewards innovation and sets Kansas up for a bright future. The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge embodies these beliefs by giving Kansas students a platform to flex their business acumen and show off their ideas.
Bailee Henry is the manager of community programs at Network Kansas, which coordinates the YEC Series.
“The YEC Series is a string of locally organized youth entrepreneurship competitions that culminate in a statewide championship,” she explains.