November 17, 2009
Fong highlights efforts to fight brain drain
Read this story at The Messenger
EAGLE GROVE - A new vision and a bright future.
This is the focus of the Eagle Grove Chamber of Commerce.
And it’s the topic Christian Fong addressed at the chamber’s annual fall harvest banquet Monday.
“I believe Iowa will be the next great economic engine in the world,” said Fong, who is seeking the Iowa Republican gubernatorial nomination. “There is a tremendous brain gain in our state because of our quality education.”
However, many of the youths Iowa educates are also one of its largest exports, which has become known as the brain drain, Fong said.
According to Fong, the main reason youths leave the state, or rural areas, is that they receive better job offers elsewhere.
As the chair of the Generation Iowa Commission for a year, Fong and his colleagues looked at how they could retain young workers. The commission asked 1,000 young people what their highest priority was when accepting a job offer.
“It wasn’t so much the quality of life or that nothing goes on in this town,” Fong said. “They leave because they got a better deal somewhere else. We can throw all the reasons out as to why they should stay at home or in Iowa, but at the end of the day if a 22-year-old is offered $10,000 more to move to Rochester, Minn, they’ll probably go.”
To change direction, Fong said a new economic development plan must be in place, one that offers more opportunities for people with advanced degrees. According to statistics he presented, only 12.2 percent of jobs in Iowa require a bachelor’s degree, which 24 percent of the population has.
This loss of jobs forces those who aren’t lucky enough to land in the 12.2 percent, to be underemployed in the state or leave. And for a college graduate, the highest paycheck usually wins, Fong said.
“Every community has to choose how it competes,” Fong said. “One in five people with advanced degrees will move to rural Iowa. Population growth is created not necessarily by offering more, but better jobs. It’s about the quality.”
And Eagle Grove has youthful ideas working on their side.
Rachel Kingery is 26 years old and the new director of the Eagle Grove Chamber of Commerce.
“I have a lot of new ideas,” Kingery said. “Right now, I think we should maintain our current businesses and bring them into the 21st century. This is one way can attract more young people to our town.”
Some young people are coming back to set up shop, like Aaron Parrott.
After graduation, Parrott came back to his home town to start his own business: Parrott Family Chiropractic.
Parrott is part of the diversity, Kingery envisions for the community.
“To me Eagle Grove will always primarily be an agricultural work force,” Kingery said, “because of the co-ops and AGP (Ag Processing Inc.). But we also need to become diverse to attract young people and keep our main street strong.”
How one can create those jobs that lure a growing population is still a big question.
Fong suggested communities look into a community benefits package, similar to benefit packages offered by large companies.
“This is something a small town can do big towns can’t,” Fong said. “Carroll offered all new young professionals access to the theater, country club, etc. Remember jobs attract people, quality of life retains them.”
Contact Lindsey Mutchler at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net
