Retaining Young Talent Through Voluntarism

A quick Google search of any mention of "young professionals" in the headlines, and it is clear many communities are worried about brain drain.

That's when young thinkers and doers leave communities for opportunities in bigger cities.

According to the latest headlines, brain drain is a concern among Vermont's gubernatorial candidates the Rochester, New York Rotary Club, and education experts in Washington.

It seems Cincinnati is not the only place consumed with the hows and whys of keeping this creative and innovative class.

The young professional set (or whatever other moniker you'd like to choose) is typically made up of single or newly married urbanites who do not have children. They are well educated, are upwardly mobile and pursue careers in fields including marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, design and the environment. These folks are in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s.

This group of people seeks out opportunities involving culture, nightlife, dining and voluntarism.

That last category, the one that gets them involved and engaged with their community? I think that's the one that can help a YPer plant roots and commit to staying where they are.

Some YPers take on volunteering as an opportunity to flex different professional muscles; others look for an opportunity to do some heavy lifting and make the world around them a little bit better. There are lots of reasons why Gens X and Y are giving up their free time to non-profits, and likely just as many benefits.

For one, organizations are getting help pushing their work forward. It takes many hands to do the work of a NPO, and many of those hands are attached to volunteers.

All this YP volunteer work is leading to direct, tangible change in our communities, too. These 20 or 30-something volunteers are helping sustain the arts, crucial human service needs, educational efforts and other valiant causes.

And through it all, these YPers are forming new bonds, learning things about the community around them and discovering other opportunities beneficial to their personal and professional endeavors.

I like to think that volunteering might just be the glue that keeps YPs sticking around a city.

Take note, Cincinnati.