On this Labor Day, labor shortages continue to be the number one issue for Nebraska businesses according to the chambers of commerce.
Currently, there are 49,000 unfilled jobs in the state. But a program started five years ago aims to help.
The "Find the Why" program offers high school students big cash prizes for solving real-life business challenges.
Todd Smith, the CEO of Symphony Workforce Development, came up with the idea.
"We flipped the age-old question, 'Hey, what do you want to be when you grow up?' And they have no idea. So, we wanted to change it to, 'What kind of problems do you like to solve?'" Smith said.
Smith said the money gets their attention.
"That's the hook that brings you into that discovery process," Smith said.
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