If you haven’t seen Idaho Jobs Explained yet, now is the perfect time to start. Idaho Public Television has been working on this exciting new series that explores the career possibilities waiting for young Idahoans. What opportunities does a new high school graduate have here in our state? We travel across Idaho to talk with people doing real jobs in in-demand industries, showing that it is still possible to build a meaningful life and career here in our home state. Our goal is to make the intimidating process of choosing a future feel fun, engaging, informative, and accessible for students, families, and educators.
Each episode focuses on a different industry. From going deep underground in the mining industry to thousands of feet in the air in aviation, we are exploring every inch of this state. In our most recent episode, we take a look at healthcare, one of the largest industries in Idaho. We go behind the scenes at St. Luke’s to spotlight roles that many people may not even realize exist, but that are essential to our well-being. That is one of the most important ideas behind this series: every industry holds a wide range of opportunities, no matter your education level, your skill set, or the kind of work you love to do.
We have been working closely with the Idaho Workforce Development Council, along with business leaders across the state, to help put this series in front of teens and young adults throughout Idaho. We want to share a broader understanding of what each industry can offer. We hope some students discover jobs they have never heard of before. We hope others realize that industries which seemed intimidating at first may actually be more accessible and approachable than they thought. Most of all, we want to show that whether you have a high school diploma or a master’s degree, there is important work to be done that helps keep our state running.
This is not meant to be a boring lecture series, either. We want it to be entertaining and funny as well as informative. The show follows Matthew Baltzell, our host, as he steps into highly skilled environments as a curious, sometimes clueless everyman, with the idea that if he can try this, maybe you can too. Even if viewers never end up working in these industries themselves, we hope the series gives them a better understanding of and appreciation for the work happening behind the scenes in the places and systems they rely on every day.
At its core, this series is about showing the next generation of Idahoans just how many paths are open to them. Whether they are already focused on a career or still figuring things out, we hope Idaho Jobs Explained leaves them curious, engaged, and a little more aware of the opportunities all around them. We are excited to take viewers on this journey of discovery across our state.