About 40 students from Monett High School on Thursday toured four local business and industry sites to see high-demand career opportunities in their communities and to learn about the education, training, and skills needed to fill those jobs. The day-long tour included visits to Monett Metals, PlayPower, Wintech, and the Missouri Job Center.
The tour was coordinated by rootEd Missouri and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. A partnership between national organization rootEd Alliance and Ozarks Technical Community College, rootEd Missouri places dedicated college and career advisors in rural high schools to work with all students to define and plan their futures, whether through a college degree, work-based learning, or military service. rootEd Missouri serves 135 schools across the state, including Monett High School.
“Industry tours are not just about showing students a workplace; it’s about showing them a path to prosperity after high school graduation,” said Samantha Towles, the rootEd advisor at Monett High School who organized the tour. “We appreciate our local business and industry partners for opening their doors—and opening our students’ eyes to the strong career opportunities in their own backyard.”
Many of the students who attended the tour are seniors who want to enter the workforce or seek career training immediately following graduation. Other students on the tour hoped to use the experience to help them further develop their plans for the future. On the tours, students learned about each company, observed employees working on site, and met with top leaders about available jobs and the skills required for those roles. Students also learned about community resources that are available to help job seekers, such as interview preparation and a clothing closet. They even received information about positions and resumes from the owner of Angus Branch Steakhouse during their lunch.
“The Missouri Job Center is excited to be partnering with rootEd and the Monett High School to provide information on the many ways we can customize services,” said Pam Regan, One Stop Operator at the Missouri Job Center. “Whether seeking employment, training opportunities to help with resumes or mock interviews, the Missouri Job Center is their lifelong connection to access services in those areas and many others.”
rootEd Missouri and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce are working together to prepare students to enter the local workforce, and in turn, strengthen their communities. Last year, for example, they hosted a similar industry tour called “Show Me Careers” for rootEd advisors, who were able to take information about local opportunities and skills back to the students at their high schools.
The partnership comes as an increasing number of jobs require some level of training or education beyond high school. In Missouri, an estimated 65% of jobs in Missouri will require postsecondary credentials by 2028. Today, only 47 percent of Missouri’s working-age population has this sort of training.
Brian Crouse, vice president of education programs at the Chamber of Commerce, said the workforce was the top concern in a recent survey of Missouri CEOs and business leaders.
“We are excited that Show-Me Careers will be expanding to Monett area high school students,” Crouse said. “These students are our future workforce, but many do not know about all the career opportunities that exist. Programs like this can help bridge workforce gaps.”
“Every student should graduate high school on a path to achieve career success and economic stability,” said Steven Fouse, executive director of rootEd Missouri. “Our dedicated career advisors work with students to develop plans for after high school and then support them to realize those plans. Career exposure opportunities like today’s industry tour are a critical part of that process, and I can’t wait to see how our students take what they learned today and apply it to their career plans.”