Educators, businesses and state agencies will soon come together to discuss the future of Idaho’s workforce during a free half-day conference at North Idaho College.

The conference, called “Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Today,” aims to showcase the tools and resources available to the future workforce.

“Developing a future workforce is critical to our economy, so we can keep our kids at home after they go through their education journeys and maintain a vibrant and healthy place to live in Idaho,” said John Young, president of Young Construction Group.

The idea for the new conference sprang from the Governor’s Conference on the Future of Work, which was held in Boise last fall.

“It was discussed among the attendees that it would be great to get together and do local workforce development conferences,” said Young, who helped organize the new conference.

The goal, Young said, is for state agencies and employers to become resources for educators, who can then introduce their students to the programs and career pathways available to them, including on-the-job training, internships and more.

In addition to hearing from industry professionals about programs offered in this region, attendees can network with like-minded professionals and discuss solutions to preparing the future workforce.

“We can work together to develop our future workforce,” Young said.

Building Tomorrow’s Workforce Today will be Friday, Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Edminster Student Union Building at North Idaho College.

The conference is free. Attendees can register online at https://bit.ly/2FA0ZU1.