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Schreiber Foods, Integrys and Associated Bank are using the Internet to entice youth ... to seek their fortunes in Northeast Wisconsin.
The three companies are part of a growing band of area employers linking with schools and job centers via Partners in Education and the WISCareers Web site to showcase local vocational offerings.
WISCareers aims to stave off brain drain, says Brian Johnson, career education program manager with the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, the parent organization of Partners in Education.
"We're trying to retain more of the workforce here," he says.
Convincing the proverbial best and brightest to stick close to home will ultimately serve as a selling point for the area, says one Green Bay CEO.
"Over time, it creates a tangible effect that can lead to more jobs in the area and more jobs being filled [by local talent], and that can serve as a differentiator for the region," says Paul Beideman, CEO of Associated Bank in Green Bay.
WHAT WISCAREERS IS
WISCareers, www.wiscareers.wisc.edu, bills itself as a career exploration site rather than an employment bank, although hiring information and links to job openings and career Web sites can be posted there.
It's a spot where students of any age - middle school through college and even adult displaced workers - can check out any of several thousand different careers, from accountant to zoologist.
"When they are looking at opportunities for career choices, if they have an interest in a particular career, that business is in front of the student's computer screen," says Chris East, senior outreach specialist with WISCareers. "It might say, 'If you want to be a nurse, why not look at St. Vincent because we are in your backyard.' It's not a job-seeking tool...