Amity Shlaes’ article in the March 23 edition of Forbes magazine really got me thinking about the importance of education in attracting and retaining the next generation of leaders in our community. She wrote about the question all young people will ask at some point in their lives: “Should I stay or should I go?”
Because Nevada is such a vibrant state and has shown sustained growth over decades, we have a better opportunity to attract millennials than states that are losing population. But how do we attract a disproportionate share of millennials?
I agree with Shlaes when she says young people are not just looking for a job, they want “prospects” — meaning longer-term personal satisfaction, which can come from a number of sources.
The backbone of our attraction and retention of young talent lies in our higher education institutions. For example, it is crucial that the UNLV medical school obtain full initial funding from the state to attract well-educated, highly motivated professionals to our community. The med school is a good first step to begin to address one of our biggest needs: expanded and enhanced health care. UNLV’s recently announced fundraising campaign, “60 by ’16,” is a scholarship program whereby the first 60 students in the initial 2016 med school class will receive a full four-year ride. That is an incredible opportunity.
Creativity and “finding people like me” are other criteria that attract young people here. The Clark County School District has several programs that hold leadership positions nationally. Nevada State College is instituting new programs in entrepreneurship and graphic arts designed to address both of those criteria.
Other factors that can attract and retain millennials are mass transit and affordable housing near job opportunities. The Southern Nevada Strong effort has done a great job of outlining where we need to go to address such issues. The challenge becomes how to develop the professionals needed to make the vision a reality.
It all comes full circle to education. It is going to take a coordinated push, but the base effort must start with enhancing our K-12 education system so the pipeline into our higher education system is vibrant.
With the Legislature still in session, the importance of education is one of the most discussed topics in Carson City. The need for collaboration has never been greater. Businesses will have to better fund education, but our educators have the challenge of creating a much better educational dynamic to attract and retain the best and brightest. It can be done.
Glenn Christenson is chairman of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance.