Our personal view of society adapting can be interesting at times. As a young employable person at the age of 18, I worked hard at finding an occupation that would fill in all the gaps of my upcoming adulthood. I completed a skinny resume, dressed in my nicest clothes, and brushed my hair to make a better impression on employers. The greeting I received was that they seemed to have many options to fill their job vacancy and they will call me back. Someday. Maybe. Fast forward to 2022 and things have changed considerably. The news media is filled with stories of a lack of employees in many sectors. Retirement has become a popular option for many after working from home during the pandemic leaving more job opportunities. There is a definite shift in the race to employ the next generation. 

 My latest adventure took me to a couple of smaller communities in southern Saskatchewan. In two days, I was exposed to about 2000 students all looking for that connection to what they want to do when they have completed their public education. So much has changed from when I was looking for my first job. The employment options available at these fairs were extensive. The presenters provided hands-on demonstrations, virtual reality opportunities, and classroom presentations to provide details. There was swag to hand out, gear to try on, and contests to enter to win some pretty nice prizes. This was a serious push to show how their specific industry is the one to benefit these students. In addition to the barrage of universities and colleges that were there to pump their curriculum, there were government agencies, police and military recruiting, and trades from every shape and size. I am sure that the students were a little overwhelmed at times. 

Not to be outdone, the STA was in the middle of the whole shebang promoting the trucking industry. The conversations with students were about how the industry is safe and the many different available opportunities. How trucking is accessible to anyone. That it doesn’t come with a 4-year commitment and a large student loan to pay off. There is support with grants and scholarships and there is a job waiting. The key part I feel was missing, and I know this would have made the events an even better success, is an STA member to talk directly to the students. Making time to promote a business aligns with the same dedication as other industries and we need that member engagement to move forward into the next group of trucking professionals. It is time well spent. In retrospect, it took an effort to show our youth the advantages of a career in the trucking industry but, it was worth the effort. I am glad that this generation can access these options and make informed decisions. It is a much better method compared to the 18-year-old me who was just hoping for a job.

Next time, I just wish they would have brushed their hair.