April 20, 2005: “Spotlight on Our Economy” Monthly Column for The Palladium-Times
By L. Michael Treadwell, CEcD, Executive Director of Operation Oswego County

Young Talent is the Future of Economic Success in Oswego County

One of the key factors in attracting new business development to any community is the abundance and quality of workforce available. However, Oswego County faces a similar challenge as many regional communities, in that decreased birth rates and the relocation of young, talented employees to larger metropolitan areas has caused what is referred to as “brain drain.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2006, two workers will leave the workforce for every one entering, and as a result, by 2010 there will be a shortage of 10.3 million workers in the United States. To compound this challenge, the next generation talent pool (those born between 1961-1981) is smaller in size than its predecessor (those born between 1942-1960).

The fact that three out of four young professionals under the age of 28 place more importance on the quality of the community than the availability of jobs (source: Next Generation Consulting, Feb, 2002), will also impact Oswego County’s ability to attract and retain talent.

With an increasingly competitive market for talented and educated professionals, Oswego County must define the unique regional characteristics that make it attractive to this generation in order to sustain our economy and quality of life.

The Workforce Development Board of Oswego County and Operation Oswego County have been working for the past year to develop a strategic planning initiative to help identify key industry clusters for future growth in the county, as well as the human resource challenges for these industries. As part of this process, the WDB and OOC, in conjunction with Next Generation Consulting (NGC) of Madison, Wis., hosted three focus groups last year which were designed to identify strategies to attract and retain young, talented employees throughout the county. The groups were convened in Oswego, Pulaski and Fulton and served to gather participants’ ideas on what makes Oswego County attractive to professional employees ages 23 to 43.

When asked what makes a community attractive, focus group attendees reported that factors like the arts, culture, ethnic restaurants, public parks, trails, and recreation areas, farmer’s markets, diversity, and recycling are critical factors. According to NGC’s research, young professionals today change jobs frequently, refuse to be confined to traditional work schedules, want a voice in leading their work and community environments and are heavy users of technology for communication and for gathering information.

Keeping in mind the characteristics of this demographic, our top priorities for attracting and retaining this talent pool include:

• Creating a community in which young people will want to live;
• Developing an internet-based media outlet for young talent to gather information and network;
• Developing networks for young talent;
• Promoting non-traditional work arrangements;
• Increasing the availability and diversity of continuing education opportunities; and
• Supporting young talent moving into leadership positions in the community.

A group of Oswego County’s young professionals, including many who recently were recognized by Oswego County Business Magazine’s “40 under Forty” leadership award, gathered earlier this month to begin work to create an organization (YP network) which would offer its members professional development and peer-to-peer networking opportunities, as well as social and cultural events, community development and service initiatives.
The group conducted a survey of more than 100 young professionals ages 21 to 40 and found that, overall, Oswego County is a great place for families, but not for single, young professionals. Additionally, 56 percent of those polled indicated that they didn’t know how long they planned to live and work in Oswego County. The YP network organizers saw this as an opportunity to influence the decision of this majority and will focus its energies on improving and promoting the county’s cultural, recreational, social and professional development opportunities.

If you are a young professional interested in learning more about this network, please contact Shannon White, OOC’s marketing manager and YP network member at 343-1545.

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