‘Find the Why!’ contest challenges students to find solutions to help transform the OPPD workforce
September 19, 2022
Middle school, high school, and college students from across Nebraska and the country, as well as college students from Colombia, India, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, are invited to engage with Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) to find ways to fill the workforce gaps for all Nebraska businesses.
OPPD is among several Nebraska employers sponsoring real-world challenges for the Symphony Workforce Foundation’s virtual Find the Why! contest. Students who take part in these short seven-day virtual challenges will also receive assessments to be more self-aware, as well as discover their “why” through solving real business problems from various industry segments of Nebraska.
Our partnership with Symphony Workforce and other Nebraska businesses and organizations give all young people an opportunity to be recruited for careers, similar to the way high school athletes are being recruited to colleges across America..
Symphony Workforce, a 501c3 nonprofit, empowers young people by providing them with access to our region’s most dynamic companies and startups, while providing incentive to discover a career path that aligns with who they are at their core. This, in turn, gives employers like OPPD valuable insights to identify, engage and nurture its future workforce.
The challenge set forth by OPPD will take place Sept. 21 – 27. The utility invites students to generate ideas on how to attract, increase awareness about the careers in energy, hire and retain Nebraska talent, as well as ensure diversity of the workforce.
Individual students or teams of students between the ages of 12 to 25 may participate. They do not need to reside in our area, as the utility recognizes the need to not only retain young Nebraska talent, but also to recruit young talent from a nationwide and international pool.
For more information on the challenge and how to take part, visit OPPD.com/FindTheWhyChallenge.
Winners will be announced Oct.7, as determined by subject matter experts selected by Symphony Workforce.