The Great American Reset of 2024: Workforce highlights and plans for 2025
- December 5, 2024
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation made significant strides in 2024, focusing on what truly matters to employees: work-life balance, career growth, and community support. The Foundation’s efforts centered on attracting talent for key industries like construction, financial services, healthcare, law enforcement, manufacturing, and retail while also developing the next generation of skilled workers among middle and high school students.
2024 Highlights: Connecting People and Opportunities
In 2024, the Foundation connected 20,882 people to Forward Sioux Falls partners through its comprehensive workforce initiatives, creating tangible, long-term value for talent pipelines and businesses:
- Connecting nearly 3,000 college and high school senior students with employers through Talent Tours and Talent Draft Days aimed at building relationships with potential employers early in their careers.
- Building the career and educational readiness for over 1,600 high school and middle school students through hands-on experience through job shadows and internships via Career Connections and Your Future STEM in partnership with 16 regional school districts, colleges and universities.
- Engaging and immersing 378 college students into the Sioux Falls community through INTERN Sioux Falls, helping build a skilled workforce.
These initiatives not only enhance talent pipelines but also solidify our role as a leader in workforce development. This leadership ensures strong returns for investors and sustainable growth for our community, instilling confidence in our stakeholders.
Looking Ahead to 2025: Building on Success
In 2025, the Development Foundation is poised to build on its success and expand its impact. The plan is to continue attracting talent and strengthen partnerships with educators. Key initiatives for the year include:
Bringing Talent Draft Day programming to college campuses to engage more college students in employment and internship opportunities at on-campus career fairs.
Upcoming spring 2025 events include:
- University of South Dakota’s Internship Fair on January 15
- Dakota State University on February 19
- Augustana University on February 26
Employers interested in participating are encouraged to connect with Riley Johnson at rileyj@siouxfalls.com to register.
Launching the inaugural INTERN Sioux Falls Best Practices Luncheon on February 6 to support employers interested in hosting internships. College internships provide a crucial opportunity for employers to build a sustainable talent pipeline and serve as a key differentiator for college graduates when selecting employment. Space is limited, so employers are encouraged to reach out and contact Denise Guzzetta at deniseg@siouxfalls.com for details.
Partnering with higher educational institutions to enhance employees’ digital, construction and transportation competencies with UPSKILL Sioux Falls. This program, created in 2022, continues to provide funds to support Forward Sioux Falls partners with employee training and development needs.
The Sioux Falls Development Foundation remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a vibrant workforce. The Foundation’s focus on opportunities for growth, connection, and meaningful work-life balance continues to be the driving force behind its efforts.