RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota is getting some nationwide recognition, with a recent survey by Insurify naming Rapid City the third-best city for recent grads to start their careers.
“We have been telling all people that for the final three years, so it’s lastly good to see that somebody listened to us,” mentioned Elevate Rapid City President and CEO Tom Johnson.
Elevate says it’s not shocking – the identical factor that brings in vacationers, brings in younger professionals: outside recreation, downtown nightlife, and cultural facilities.
A MIDWESTERN SWEEP
Six out of the highest ten cities named by Insurify are in the Midwest, together with the highest three.
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Portland, Oregon
- Fargo, North Dakota
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Denver, Colorado
- Tampa, Florida
A report by CNBC says the cities are ranked primarily based on cost-of-living, with comparable transit and leisure choices to bigger costal cities.
As they work to develop downtown Rapid City right into a hub with residing, consuming, and humanities, Johnson says this development is probably going to proceed – regardless of the challenges distinctive to the 18-to-25 crowd.
“I feel usually younger professionals are typically neglected as a result of we all the time need expertise,” Johnson mentioned. “What we’re considering with our workforce scarcity proper now, the way in which we’re in the nation…you need to decrease a few of these boundaries to entry, these expertise necessities, these diploma necessities.”
Johnson says Rapid City is a significant employer of these in the healthcare sector, and the tech discipline regularly expands, however an absence of expertise will not be the one barrier for younger folks in the workforce.
“All the challenges the younger professionals face are sometimes simply, you recognize, feeling like they’re related to the neighborhood, whether or not it’s by way of relationship or whether or not its friendships,” Johnson added.
Some firms, like Black Hills Energy, focus closely on hiring recent grads.
“We have internships that we offer to college students early in their careers – the whole lot from electrical operations to engineering and accounting – hoping to get these college students in and get them excited in regards to the power enterprise,” mentioned Marsha Nichols, the neighborhood affairs program supervisor for Black Hills Energy.
BLACK HILLS ENERGY
Black Hills Energy was awarded the “Young Professionals Best Place to Work” award from Elevate Rapid City in June 2022.
Their award web page reads:
“Black Hills Energy is pleased with their firm tradition of being a office of selection for all. They know that their individuals are their biggest asset and thus attempt to create a protected, welcoming, and supportive setting the place everybody can thrive. A job at Black Hills Energy isn’t just a job – it’s a profession journey, which makes them an excellent office for younger professionals. They make investments in their worker’s well-being and improvement and collectively create an inclusive tradition the place everybody belongs.”
Property Meld and Visit Rapid City had been each finalists for the award.
The as soon as hidden gem is now turning into a hot-spot.