Cool
Communities - Cool Companies Project
This project is about
creating an environment in southwest Saskatchewan that will
attract and retain young talent. Action Southwest is instigating
a project designed to create an environment that is conducive
to the needs of young professionals. This environment will have
positive economic spin-offs, as it will help to attract and
retain skilled and unskilled labour to the southwest region
of Saskatchewan.
Here are a few important
factors we know about young talent:
•
They marry
later in life. In 2004, the average age of a first marriage
was 27 for women and 25 for men.
•
Generation
X (born 1961-1981) is the first generation to have deeply
imbedded skills sets in technology. This makes them a highly
desirable demographic to Saskatchewan employers and impacts
how marketing messages should be designed to reach them.
•
Young professionals
are very entrepreneurial. Between half and two-thirds of all
new companies are started by people of color, women and Gen
X'ers.
•
There are
2 'baby-boomers' retiring for every 1 person entering the
workforce.
•
When asked
"What makes a community attractive?" young talent report that
factors like "Third Spaces," the arts, culture, ethnic restaurants,
public parks, trails, and recreation areas, farmer's markets;
diversity, and recycling are critical factors. Jobs are
not enough .
•New
strategies will be required to attract and retain a new generation.
Swift Current and region must determine how it ranks in the
minds of the next generation so that it can craft messages
and opportunities that resonate with the next generation.
This
project will address the issue of attracting and retaining talent
as an economic development issue. This is not an "HR issue"
or a "touchy feely" campaign. Attracting, retaining, and engaging
the next generation is a bottom line issue for Saskatchewan
's employers, tax base, and civic institutions.
Status: A committee
is being formed and a funding proposal has been circulated for
funding support. If successful the following leaders have committed
to advancing the project.
Cool
Action Team
Lead: Sandra
Blyth, Action Southwest
Support/
Advisory:
- Sandra Blyth – Regional Project Manager, Action Southwest
- Dallas Gislason - Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
- Dianne Sletten, Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation
- Marty Salberg, City of Swift Current
- Keleah Herron, Program Coordinator, Cypress Hills Regional
College
Back to Current
Projects | Back to Home
