MILWAUKEE – It is one thing to attract young talent to Milwaukee. But it is another challenge to keep them here long-term.
What we know:
“Unless you want to be visiting your kids or grandkids in Austin, Texas, this is a problem we have to fix today,” said Ian Abston, President of The Hoan Group.
Austin, Texas is not the only city Milwaukee and southeast Wisconsin are battling in the fight to attract and retain top talent. Those cities are going head-to-head with places like Washington, D.C. and Atlanta – cities with technology, innovation and deep connections with universities.
What they’re saying:
“If we make these sort of investments in our university systems, if we show young people there’s opportunities for you here; there’s possibilities for you here. I think that helps us to be a more competitive place to not just draw that talent in but also to retain that talent,” said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson
Universities of Wisconsin leaders and local leaders were gathered at the Milwaukee Athletic Club on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Their focus was on workforce development and population growth to solve the problem.
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“We need to keep them here. And we will keep them here with investments and interesting, complex and challenging next generation projects,” said Tina Chang, CEO of SysLogic.
Chang also talked about the importance of mentoring and educating executives on technology.
“If it starts at the top, the investments will be there, the prioritization will be there, the initiatives will flow and then we’re going to have great young people to catch it all doing interesting work instead of going to the coast for that work,” Johnson said.
What they’re saying:
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, students who spoke with FOX6 News talked about the importance of having a city with jobs and a lifestyle.
“I might go to Dallas, we’ll see. I don’t have anyone here. With that though, Milwaukee is amazing,” said Abdallah Shaikh, UWM student.
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“Probably just my job situation. If I don’t have a job that I’m really passionate about, I’ll probably move to Chicago. I feel like there’s more opportunities there,” said Behla Smith, UWM student.
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.
