Albert Lea officials hope to alleviate the city’s labor shortage by reaching out to local colleges.

Assistant City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos and other local officials have contacted Waldorf University and other schools in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa for opportunities for college students to intern, job shadow or be mentored by businesses in Albert Lea.

Gabrielatos became aware of the idea from another city, which markets itself to colleges within a 60-mile radius.

“I thought, oh that’s brilliant, we should do that here,” he said.

Gabrielatos then spoke with Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Randy Kehr and Albert Lea Economic Development Agency Executive Director Ryan Nolander about the idea.

Gabrielatos became aware of a program led by Albert Lea Greater Education Project Executive Coordinator Jean Eaton, which focuses on giving practical education and learning experiences to high school students through job shadowing, mentoring and creating endowed scholarships.

Riverland Community College and North Iowa Area Community College have been contacted about the program.

Gabrielatos, along with Eaton, have been reaching out to local employers to see if they could provide opportunities for college students.

“A lot of the employers who I have called so far seem to be excited about the idea,” Gabrielatos said.

A website is planned to help connect participating Albert Lea employers to regional universities. 

“Our intent is to build a website of participating employers, then to send that link to career service professionals at universities throughout the region,” he said. “The Albert Lea Education Foundation has done a wonderful job of pairing employers with high school students and shadowing opportunities. This program builds on that. We think this is an innovative way to leverage the resources available to help employers and college students in the region.”

Waldorf is a good place for the program to start, Gabrielatos said.

“The thing with Waldorf that makes it a really great candidate for rolling this out is that internships are a requirement to graduate,” Gabrielatos said.

Gabrielatos traveled to the college for a mock interview night.

“We are plugging away,” he said.

College students can help ease into their career or find the right career through the collaboration, Gabrielatos said.

“It’s hard to get started in a field if you don’t know anybody, so what we want to do is also create something that could be a resource,” he said.

The program would make college students feel welcome in Albert Lea, Gabrielatos said.

“I think that’s a big message for a community to send, they want people to be here,” he said.