Develop

Our goal is to align education and workforce resources more closely with the business community and the local talent pool in an effort to grow our own. We work closely with our partners in education to build a pipeline of future employees for businesses in North Platte and Lincoln County. Having well prepared students graduate from high school will help to make us the preferred place for experienced and diverse talent. Our primary goal is to increase awareness of the opportunities that are currently available in our area and to make sure that our education partners are preparing students to take advantage of those opportunities. 

The School-Business Partnership Program is a collaborative effort where businesses are paired with schools or educational programs to assist in preparing students for success. The program includes opportunities for internships and job shadowing as well as resources for educators to enhance course content reflective of real-world, local career opportunities. 

In addition to K-12 education partners, we work closely with Mid-Plains Community College/North Platte Community College. MPCC offers a variety of degree and certificate programs and collaborates with businesses on customized training programs to ensure employees gain the skills needed for specific job tasks. 

Our Education and Training Partners

North Platte Public School District

Mid-Plains Community College

Nebraska Department of Labor

Recruit

At the North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corporation, we develop programs and services based on member feedback through a variety of channels.  We are hearing from our members that talent attraction and retention are top priority as well as the most important factors in business success. 

Competition among communities is growing and the recruitment challenge continues to expand. We needed something to set us apart – to give our employers the edge when it comes to recruitment.

In 2017, the Chamber and Development Corporation, in collaboration with our Economic Development Partners, and the City of North Platte, implemented WORKNP as a way meet that competition head on. WORKNP allows Chamber member employers to double their hiring incentive (up to $10,000 with our $5,000 matching funds). The program ended in March of 2020 with at least 15 successful applicants in completion.

Discussion continues on how to implement another program to meet the needs of our members in the future- stay tuned!

Retain

Once your new employee has made the decision to work for you, the Chamber offers a variety of opportunities to get them engaged in our community. With increased engagement comes increased retention. We offer many networking opportunities and events, such as Business After Hours. We also have an active Young Professionals Organization (North Platte Young Professionals) as well as Leadership Lincoln County.

Communities who address these talent challenges collectively will be better positioned for success. By connecting the dots between employees, employers, educators and key stakeholders, we are taking a holistic approach to building a sustainable talent pipeline that will ensure our local employers are successful for decades to come.