Educators and industry leaders gathered at Old High Middle School in Bentonville Thursday to discuss the urgent need for earlier exposure to skilled trades among young students. The event, part of the annual Heartland Summit, highlighted how workforce shortages in technical fields trace back to a career awareness problem starting in childhood.
“We have a career awareness issue,” said Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech, a two-year technical college connected to Wichita State University in Kansas. “A 10- or 12-year-old can’t be what they have never seen. We can’t start development at the age of 18.”
Utash’s point cut to the core of what many regional educators have identified as a missing thread in the local education and workforce development pipeline. While companies in Northwest Arkansas and beyond report a lack of workers skilled in trades like welding, HVAC, and advanced manufacturing, the root problem begins far before college enrollment.
Introducing students to these career paths as early as middle school was a clear theme throughout the panel discussion, which included STEM University founder David Mazyck and Hal Higdon, chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College. They emphasized that opportunities to explore hands-on technical skills can ignite interest and help young people envision futures beyond traditional four-year universities.
At WSU Tech, efforts have centered on outreach to schools younger than college age, aiming to inspire curiosity about skilled trades while students are still deciding what paths feel attainable. “It’s not just about getting to college,” Utash said. “It’s about letting kids know what’s out there and how they can fit into the workforce earlier.”
The forum made evident that northwest Arkansas, with its growing industries in manufacturing, construction, and technology, stands to benefit if local educational institutions and employers collaborate on career readiness programs that start before high school. Panelists pointed out that in many cases, students’ parents and communities also lack familiarity with the opportunities these fields offer, which compounds the challenge.
David Mazyck of STEM University shared examples of programs designed to build practical skills while keeping the conversation about career possibilities alive from an early age. Similarly, Hal Higdon described how partnerships between community colleges and local businesses can create pipelines that support students as they advance through education and into local jobs.
For many attending, the hope is that the Heartland Summit will be a catalyst for local districts to implement more integrated technical training into K-12 education. Bringing awareness to classrooms at a younger age, combined with real-world experiences like internships or mentoring, could begin to bridge the skilled labor gap that Bentonville’s expanding economy confronts.
The panel closed with a call to action for educators, parents, and employers to champion early exposure not only as a means to fill jobs but as a way to empower young people with clear, attainable career goals. As Utash put it, “We can’t wait until the last minute to show students the possibilities. It’s about planting seeds long before the workforce needs them.”
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
