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Solving the rural Brain Drain at Career Day

By Small Biz Survival

Guest post by Jimi Coplen  Executive Director, Development Corporation of Haskell, Texas In rural America, we know the “Brain Drain” is a real issue. We do a great job educating our kids, teaching them good work ethic, and turning them into amazing adults. Then, they leave for college, never to be seen again. Employers are left […]

January 7, 2019 Filed Under: economic development, rural, workforce, youth Tagged With: boomerang, brain drain, career day, guest post, in migration, out migration, recruiting, return to rural, rural population

A small town apprenticeship

By Becky McCray

Any rural business owner can offer an apprenticeship Kevin Rubash is now the owner and designer at Interior Spaces which is a interior home design business in Webster City, Iowa (population 8,000). Kevin designs interiors for homes and business and sells everything from bedding to furniture to flooring and curtains. He got his first chance […]

July 9, 2018 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, Small Biz 100, workforce, youth

The rural contradiction: “There aren’t any good jobs!” vs. “We can’t find good people!”

By Becky McCray

  After we talked about the difficulties in finding good people for low-level jobs in rural areas, I wanted to follow up with a challenge Mike shared with us: “Getting people to live here or come here for the jobs we have open NOW!”  Mike’s not the only one with workforce challenges. It was one of […]

June 19, 2017 Filed Under: Best of, economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, workforce Tagged With: idea friendly

How do I attract good employees for low-level jobs?

By Becky McCray

  “How do I attract good employees for low-level jobs?” That was one of the responses to our Survey of Rural Challenges. You don’t. That would be my answer. You will have to re-imagine and remake those jobs. Let’s look at a lumber mill, a real one in a real small town that friends from Oregon […]

June 5, 2017 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, rural, trends, workforce, youth

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