Page 16 - LRCC 2025 October FOCUS Magazine

Cover illustration by Tristan Benjamin

Building a Workforce

Ready forTomorrow

PREPARING NEW HIRES IN

GREATER LANSING

By Liz Reno–Hayes

F PREPAREDNESS GAP: Nearly all hiring managers view
inding the right talent is harder than ever.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
trade school/technical college graduates (90%) and four-
New Hire Readiness Report (2025), four in
five hiring managers (84%) say most high school year college graduates (89%) with industry-recognized
credentials as prepared. But 84% say most high school
graduates are not prepared to enter the workforce students are not prepared to enter the workforce.
straight out of school. Employers consistently rank
critical thinking, communication, and adaptability as GENERATIONAL DECLINE:
the most important skills for entry-level workers, yet 80% believe today’s high school grads are less prepared
too few young adults leave high school with those compared to previous generations.
abilities fully developed.
SKILL PATHWAYS: Hiring managers cite internships (46%),
The challenge is urgent. Across the country and trade schools (40%), and four-year colleges (37%) as the top
here in the Lansing region, employers are balancing ways for students to gain early-career skills.
rapid economic shifts with the demands of a
new generation of workers. Emerging industries, SOFT SKILLS DRIVE HIRING: 94% are more likely to hire
AI integration, and a global marketplace are entry-level employees who show critical thinking/problem
transforming how businesses compete. To stay solving skills, and 90% say the same about effective
ahead, our region must strengthen talent communication.
pipelines and ensure that the next generation
of workers can thrive. HIRING CHALLENGES: Only about two in five say it’s easy
to find candidates with the skills (38%) or experience
(37%) they need.
What Employers Are Saying
TOP FINANCIAL LITERACY SKILLS
The Chamber’s report highlights a clear message THAT EMPLOYERS VALUE MOST
from hiring managers: credentials and real-world
experiences matter. Nearly nine in ten say they are 42% Taxes, net income, and budgeting
more likely to hire a candidate with an industry-
recognized credential, and internships rank as the Saving and investing for education,
top way students gain early-career skills. 41% housing, and retirement goals.

Equally important are “soft skills,” which many 39% Borrowing, credit, and debt
now call “critical skills.” More than 90% of hiring
managers say they are more likely to hire an 28% Personal saving

26% Managing personal risk
ZIN |
O
T
5
BE
0
2
R 2
U
S
M
C
16 16 FOCUS MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2025
F
O

O
C
E
A
G
A