We can’t ignore the talent shortage in the animal health industry, urges the KC Animal Health Corridor. The Corridor consists of more than 300 animal health companies with a business location anchored by Manhattan, Kan., and Columbia, Mo. During the Animal Health Summit, the Corridor unveiled a brand-new workforce campaign that addresses the talent shortage in the animal health industry head-on.
“For years, we’ve talked about the talent gap threatening our industry’s future,” Kimberly Young, president of the Corridor said in a release. “Today, we’re taking decisive action. This campaign is bold, it’s needed, and it’s long overdue.”
The initiative includes providing a robust toolkit of resources to help companies, educators and industry partners connect with young professionals and educate them about the variety of career opportunities available in the animal health industry.
The goal of the campaign is to inspire the next generation of workers to pursue careers in animal health by calling on industry stakeholders to champion the mission, the Animal Health Corridor explained.
“We’re asking you to think differently,” Corridor Board Chair Matt Musselman, chief operating officer, farm services, at Dairy Farmers of America, said in a release. “Talk to your teams, your kids’ teachers, and your alma mater. Be that first voice that tells someone, ‘You know, this industry needs someone exactly like you.’”
In addition to challenging the misconception that animal health careers are limited to veterinary medicine, it also highlights the need for a range of talent.
“Through engaging storytelling and the tagline ‘You’re our kind of animal,’ the campaign highlights the industry’s need for a range of talents—from microbiologists and engineers to marketers, data analysts, AI developers and manufacturing technicians,” the release said.
The free toolkit is available at ExploreAHCareers.com and includes videos, graphics, messaging templates, classroom-ready materials and more. Each resource is intended to make it easy to engage with students, educators, career counselors, and job seekers about the vast opportunities in animal health.
“Our industry needs people from every walk of life who care about purpose and making a difference,” Young said. “There’s a place for all of them in our world—animal health takes all kinds.”
