Industry campaign aims to improve access to opportunity

A new campaign aimed at expanding access to opportunity in veterinary medicine was launched at the 2025 KC Animal Health Corridor (AHC) Summit in Kansas City, Missouri. The Animal Health Corridor Workforce offers recruitment materials, digital tools for career seekers, and information on the various ways that individuals from many different job sectors can find their place in the animal health industry.^1,2

The campaign helps address the needs of the animal health industry workforce. “We are no longer just talking about the talent shortage. We are doing something about it….[The campaign] is bold, it's needed, and it's long overdue,” Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor, said during the announcement for the campaign.¹

Photo: Kristen Coppock Crossley, MA/dvm360

Kimberly Young, president of the KC Animal Health Corridor; and Matt Musselman, chief operating officer, farm services for Dairy Farmers of America, open the 2025 KC Animal Health Corridor Summit with the announcement of the Animal Health Corridor Workforce campaign.

Matt Musselman, chief operating officer, farm services for Dairy Farmers of America, who made the announcement with Young, noted that the AHC spent the last year listening to students, companies and educators, ascertaining their needs. “What we heard was loud and clear: the next generation of young people don't have the full picture of what a career in animal health could look like…So we ask ourselves, ‘what if we redefine our narrative? What if we stood together as a collective animal health industry and said animal health is more?’ That’s what inspired the launch of our new Animal Health Corridor Workforce campaign,” Musselman said.

According to a video presented during the announcement of the campaign, animal health takes all kind of professions, and encouraged the summit audience to help spread the word. “Tell the story. Lead the way. Let everyone know this industry has so much to offer everyone…The corridor is growing. We need all kinds of people. We need to attract. We need to compete. For today. For tomorrow,” the video said.

The website for the campaign, exploreahcareers.com, provides access to downloadable materials, opportunity insights and other resources. It also explains how many different professions provide unique strengths to the animal care industry. These professions include transportation, shipping, data science, pharmaceuticals, machinery, academics, hospitality, sales, analysis, research, communication, and more.² Under communication, a skilled writer, for example, can create content for trade publications such as industry news, feature articles and creative stories that engage and inform animal health stakeholders.³

The Animal Health Corridor Workforce campaign is fittingly launched as the AHC celebrates its 20th anniversary. Over time, the organization has significantly grown in reach and impact on the industry, Musselman explained.

“Since the inception of the corridor, 85 new companies have relocated to the Kansas City region, and many existing companies have chosen to invest and expand in this region. We have added an impressive 4500 new jobs, $405 million in new payroll and over $4 billion in new capital investments over the past 40 years,” he added.

According to Young, 2025 is an appropriate time to address the needs of the current and future generations. “Twenty years ago, this summit started as an idea, a place to connect talent, innovation and opportunity, and just look around. That idea became a movement, one that is now leading the global conversation on what's next for our industry,” Young said. “As we have talked about for years, there's a growing talent gap threatening our industry, but yet, there's a generation out there full of passion, skill and purpose, many of whom don't know yet that our industry needs them.

"Today is not just a gathering," she said of the summit. "It's a call to action."

References

1. Young K, Musselman M. Opening remarks and impact awards ceremony. Presented at: KC Animal Health Corridor Summit; August 25-26, 2025. Kansas City, MO.
2. Animal Health. It Takes All Kinds. Homepage. KC Animal Health Corridor. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://exploreahcareers.com
3. Animal Health. It Takes All Kinds. Writer. KC Animal Health Corridor. Accessed August 25, 2025. https://exploreahcareers.com/writer/