Across Michigan, employers are facing the same dilemma: skilled workers are increasingly hard to find, and once hired, they are even harder to keep. On top of that, the very nature of work is changing. Automation, artificial intelligence, and other exponential technologies are transforming shop floors, production lines, and offices alike. It’s no longer enough to fill today’s roles— we need a strategy to build and retain a workforce that will thrive in the future.
The truth is, retention doesn’t begin on the first day of employment. It starts the first time a young person can picture themselves in your industry. That spark might happen during a fifth‑grade STEM challenge, a middle school career exploration project, or a high school visit to a technical lab. Employers who wait until the hiring stage to engage with talent are already behind.
Early engagement matters because it creates a pipeline of students who recognize your industry, understand the work, and feel a sense of belonging before they ever set foot in your facility. Those students are more likely to pursue the relevant courses, develop the needed skills, and—most importantly—stay in the field once they enter it. Employers who connect with schools early see higher retention, stronger loyalty, and employees who arrive prepared for both the technical and professional demands of the job.
The need for this alignment is even greater as exponential technologies reshape Michigan’s economy. Exponential technologies are innovations that accelerate in their growth and impact, redefining industries at a pace that feels sudden to the unprepared. These technologies, such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology, are not far‑off concepts—they are here now, and the workforce needs to be ready.
Read this article in full in our 2025 Integr8 Playbook, “Global Trends and Supply Chain: Planning for a Shifting World,” here.
Oakland Schools is a regional service agency that offers support services to school personnel that are best delivered regionally and provide cost, size and quality advantages to those we serve. Oakland Schools is an autonomous, tax-supported public school district governed by Michigan General School Laws and is one of 56 intermediate school districts (ISDs) established in Michigan in 1962.
