SteeleCoWorks celebrating partnership with local students, employers

“What’s next?” is the dreaded question many young people face upon graduating from high school.

While many graduates search far and wide for the answer, some local students have found it right at home in the community.

Since graduation, employment program SteeleCoWorks has celebrated students joining the local workforce with a series of signing days, taking place on-site at businesses that are employing local graduates.

SteeleCoWorks is a collaboration between local schools, United Way of Steele County, the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and Workforce Development, Inc. The program connects students with local businesses for jobs training and experience, often leading to full-time employment.

Businesses including From the Ground Up, Wenger Corporation and Climate by Design International (CDI) have hosted their own signing days, welcoming new hires and their families to celebrate.

For Peyton Mahlum, a 2024 graduate of Owatonna High School, signing on with CDI gave him a sense of certainty in his future.

“I felt pretty good because I knew what I’d be doing after school,” he said.

Mahlum works on the assembly line at CDI, building dehumidifiers. Aside from learning the ropes of the job, he said his experience there has also taught him to work effectively with other people.

Patrick McDermott, director of manufacturing operations for CDI, described the program as a “win-win” for employers and students. Students get head start in their careers, and employers get the workforce they need.

“We get smart, talented young people to build our products,” he said.

CDI has participated in the program for years, accepting more students every year. McDermott works with the Career Pathways navigators to identify candidates, who go through the same process as other candidates.

Students receive a mix of on-the-job training and classroom work, including a 10-hour OSHA training course. They work flexible part-time hours around the school year, and have the opportunity to work full-time over summer break. While 16 and 17 year olds can qualify to work in assembly, responsibilities such as welding are limited to adults.

McDermott said working with local students has provided CDI with a new recruitment avenue in a competitive job market.

Missy Koch, Career Pathways navigator at OHS, said it’s been a heartwarming experience to watch the students she works with blossom into their careers.

“The students and the families feel that sigh of relief. They know where they’re going, they know where the path is and they kind of have an understanding of how to start navigating,” said Koch.

Her fellow Career Pathways navigator Brian Coleman said each signing day energizes him to find opportunities for more students.

Coleman and Koch work with high schoolers individually to identify their interests and pair them with local businesses for shadow opportunities, internships and other work experiences. Their goal is to make sure every student has a plan for what’s next after graduation. To that end, they’d like to see more students taking advantage of the program earlier in high school, rather than waiting until graduation is close at hand.

Coleman said the latest generation of students is embracing a wider range of options compared to the college-centric approach of the past.

“The learning continues regardless of if you’re going into the workforce, enlisting in the military or going to post-secondary. You will continually learn and grow as a person,” he said.

Koch and Coleman credit the program’s success to support from the local business community.

Brad Meier, president of the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said it’s encouraging to see so many local businesses devoting time and energy to reaching young people in the community.

“Ultimately, what we want to do is let our students who are going through high school know there are good opportunities in Owatonna,” said Meier.

As communities vie to expand their workforces, Meier said future economic growth depends of retaining homegrown talent.

Meier, one of the SteeleCoWorks representatives who’s participated in signing days this year, described the events as opportunities to show graduates they are wanted and appreciated in the local workforce.