News Business
Editorial: ‘And we don’t care about the young folks’

Recently, I realized I was no longer the “young one” at my job. It was as if I blinked, and suddenly I’d been in the industry for 13 years. Before I knew it, I had colleagues a full decade younger than me asking me for advice. I also had a sore back.

Age comes up a lot when you talk about the drainage industry. Installing tile is a highly physical job – one might think a younger, bright-eyed worker is the ideal candidate for such a job. And yet, one theme that has come up time and time again in our features and news items is that many businesses struggle to add and, more importantly, retain young talent. That also came up in our recent Drainage Challenges and Opportunities survey (Page 10).

I’m not one to stereotype younger generations – so I won’t. One common complaint from those in the biz has been that younger workers aren’t interested in long hours or highly physical labor. A study from Deloitte published in 2024 found there was far more nuance. Job seekers in Gen Z (defined generally as being born between 1997 and 2012) gravitate toward jobs that reflect their own values and prioritize social activism. One can argue there are many broader social benefits to agricultural drainage, but those unfamiliar with the industry might not see it that way so easily. Plus, the 2008 Great Recession is a distant enough memory for Gen Z (whereas it was the fire under the seats of most Millennials on our first-ever adult job hunt) that financial security is no longer their primary or sole motivator when considering their career options. The top industries this generation looks to break into are technology, education and healthcare.

There is, however, opportunity with Gen Z. According to the Deloitte survey, Gen Z tends to prefer career development paths that are rife with entrepreneurial opportunity – and that’s drainage to a T. Check out the survey highlights on to learn how some drainage biz veterans are preparing the next generation for leadership.

Drainage companies can also appeal to Gen Z by highlighting their commitments to sustainability – drainage, when done properly, is an important practice for creating an efficient agricultural landscape, and advances in drainage are helping keep excess nutrients out of waterways. That’s the great thing about innovation in drainage – it’s not just new for newness’ sake; there’s sustainability at the core – check out our feature on automation in machinery for controlled drainage systems (Page 14) for an example.

In the meantime, we’ve changed things up a bit with our Contractor at Work profile. Normally, we profile someone who’s been in the business for a few decades, or a multi-generation drainage business. This issue, we decided to highlight two young contractors at the beginning of their journey – brothers Hudson and Taylor Mealy, who just marked one year in the biz (Page 18).

With the busy season about to kick off, we hope you have a smooth season. Who knows? Maybe some of the summer help you take on will be interested in making a more permanent move into the drainage industry. 

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