WHY NOT HERE? Q-C already is responding to brain drain
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By Paul Rumler | Friday, December 29, 2006 |
Paul Rumler
Every major city is marketing itself as the place for young people to live. Call these young people what you will: Generation X and Y, young professionals, knowledge-based workers, etc. These young people have individualized goals, ambitions and desire to enjoy life. Because of this, there’s more than one reason why young people are attracted to a certain location. This opportunistic age group has a unique perspective. Taken collectively, they hold the solution to our region’s challenges.
A recent New York Times article outlined how Atlanta, Las Vegas and Austin, Texas, are attracting mobile young people from places like New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Are we to think that New York City is no longer a cool place to live? Not really. You see these places don’t have the market cornered on opportunity. Cities are identifying their unique characteristics and marketing their communities as a place for these increasingly mobile young people to thrive. The good news is that the Quad-Cities isn’t just waking up to the need to attract younger people to the region. For example, The Young Professionals Network (YPN) of the Quad Cities began in 2002 to engage young people in shaping and showcasing the Quad-Cities as an attractive place to live. An inclusive network of over 1,500 young and emerging professionals living in Iowa and Illinois, YPN believes the more informed, involved and networked young professionals are the more likely they will stay in the region, and the more impact they can have on what the region becomes. It’s simple: YPN seeks to engage those who we wish to attract and retain in our region.
It is natural for some young people to move away from the Quad-Cities. However, the Quad-City region can take an important step in stemming the wave of young people dissatisfied with living in the area. To accomplish this goal, our region doesn’t need to replicate downtown Chicago, become a mecca for the suburban mega stores or adopt the cosmopolitan lifestyle. In the Age of Opportunity, instead we must embrace the characteristics that make our area unique, involve and listen to the needs of younger people, and demonstrate that young people have the ability to fulfill their personal and professional goals while enjoying a high quality of life. Starting with the talented individuals who already make the Quad-Cities their home, we can build upon what makes the Quad Cities a great place to live.
Paul Rumler is Director of Talent Attraction and Retention for the Illinois Quad-City Chamber of Commerce. Contact him at (309)757-5416, or at prumler@quadcitychamber.com.
Add your story about the reasons you moved from or to the Quad-Cities.
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