EDITORIAL: Businesses courting millennials
The makeup of the workforce is changing. Baby boomers are retiring in droves and Generation X’ers are settling into middle age. Ready or not, millennials aged 18 to 35 now represent nearly 40 percent of the workforce — a number that could reach 70 percent within a decade.
Local employers listened to a panel of experts Tuesday at a Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon centered on hiring and retaining these young employees in the technology age.
To be sure, millennials don’t view work the same as their parents or grandparents. This age group generally is more interested in qualify of life than the size of paycheck. They prioritize flexibility in scheduling and a company’s community involvement when deciding where to work. They also fear any job with a semblance of being boring.
The take-away from the chamber’s panel of human resource experts — adapt or die. The sooner employers embrace and accommodate the desires of this emerging workforce, the more quickly they can bring their unique talents aboard.
Montana Code Girls are on road to success
The youngest generation is also making its mark on society by challenging us to accommodate fresh ideas and breaking down old walls.
As an example, a new club in Kalispell is set on inspiring and empowering more young women to enter the technology industry.
With men outnumbering women in the tech workforce by a ratio of about four to one, Montana Code Girls is taking necessary steps to close the gender gap.
The free after-school program teaches girls age 9 to 19 how to develop computer code, build an online application and even craft a business plan — tools that will give these young women a head start on thriving in an industry in which they are vastly underrepresented.
Good for them. We have not doubt we will be hearing from many of them in the years to come as technology continues to expand its role in the local economy.
The club meets Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. at Russell Elementary in Kalispell. To learn more visit www.bigskycodeacademy.org