Omaha’s future workforce is already learning from the people who run its businesses.

At Creighton University, local leaders come into classrooms to talk candidly about their work, the skills they value and the paths that brought them there.

“Business is an applied discipline,” said Anthony Hendrickson, PhD, dean of the Heider College of Business.

That philosophy shapes how Hendrickson thinks about how Creighton prepares Omaha’s future workforce. Creighton brings about 100 professionals into its classrooms each year, giving students a chance to hear directly from executives and other practitioners about how they make decisions, build careers and lead organizations. That real-world perspective extends to the faculty, who collectively bring more than 500 years of business experience to their teaching.

For students, those visits are a chance to ask people in leadership how they got there. Hendrickson said they want to know: “Where’d you start off? How’d you get here? What advice do you have for me?”

Skills that carry into the workplace

Alongside technical business knowledge, Creighton emphasizes skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership and networking. And a career portfolio program is required for all business students.

Hendrickson calls these “durable success skills.” Employers expect business graduates to understand the fundamentals of their fields, he said. They also want to know how a new hire will work with colleagues, communicate ideas and contribute to a team.

“Business is a team sport,” Hendrickson said.

That emphasis carries into Creighton’s curriculum, which focuses on six mindsets: analytical, action, collaborative, cross-cultural, service and reflective. Students develop those mindsets through both coursework and experiences outside the classroom.

Students also get opportunities to work with real stakes.

Finance students, for example, help manage more than $17 million of Creighton’s endowment through the university’s portfolio practicum. The responsibility requires them to weigh decisions in a setting that goes beyond a classroom exercise.

A business community that shows up

Omaha’s robust business community — including both large companies and smaller firms — often shares experiences with students.

Leaders from Conagra Brands, Mutual of Omaha, Tenaska and Godfather’s Pizza have spoken with students, Hendrickson said. Creighton also names Union Pacific, Lutz, KPMG and Gallup among its Omaha business partners, and students have internships at companies including Union Pacific, Kiewit and Werner Enterprises.

“We’ve got a great culture in Omaha,” Hendrickson said.

For employers considering Greater Omaha, those relationships offer a valuable advantage: students are learning not only from faculty, but from the business leaders and organizations they may one day work alongside.

That connection gives future workers opportunities to develop practical skills, understand employer expectations and enter the workforce with a clearer picture of what it takes to succeed.