And my first question is, as far as trends in workforce development go, what is one trend that is, in your opinion, underrated or something that maybe is flying under the radar that our audience should know about?

Well.

One thing that we've seen a lot of lately and heard from employers in South Dakota is that we're not necessarily concerned with the skill level that individuals have, but really their work ethic, their soft skills, and really needing to see some of that development occur.

And so I think it's really interesting when you hear that, because for a lot of time we've heard, you know, like, Education and those things are really important, which they are, definitely.

But one thing that is untapped for sure is that ability to draw on those soft skills and learn those abilities.

As far as partnerships go, how important are partnerships to your job? How do you see partnerships playing and how can partnerships be done correctly versus maybe incorrectly?

That's a very good question.

Realistically, partnerships are our number one priority, whether it's a technology partnership or a partnership with another agency, our schools, other economic development centers, things of that nature.