F-2 What can London do to better attract and retain young people?

Session proposed by:

Session participants:

Suggested guideline for discussion and notetaking, or you can use your own but please put your session notes here.

1. Clear question What can London do to better attract and retain young people?

2. Context (why is this important (now), who does/could this issue
    affect, what are the advantages our region has in terms of
    infrastructure, expertise, related institutions, history)

Important factor for cities is to tap into talent base that's here - future weath generators, future entrepreneurs.

Dwindling tax base with retiring baby boomers.

3. Needs/Obstacles

- what are the social engagement opportunities

- high speed rail would bring the best of both worlds - young people could live & operate in London but still take advantage of Toronto

- people coming up in London office then moving "up" to Toronto

- too much urban sprawl

- Do students who come for school get a good view of what London has to offer?

- How do we break down the invisible barriers?

- Students bring their existing peer/groups communities with them.

- Opportunities to interact/connect with leading businesses in London.

- draw students in through volunteerism

- can young people find work in London? - Often spouses of people who move to London for work can't find employment.

- entrepreneurship

- we need to show people the "dotted line" where to find work

- need connection to downtown, connection to what's going on municipally

- if there aren't jobs people will go elsewhere

- London hasn't had the big "killer company" like RIM to galvanize the community

- 24-25 year-olds not sure what they want to do with their lives will go to Toronto - we need to give students a reason to hang around 4 months while they figure it out

- look at ourselves in a regional context

- youth leadership needs to play a big role - how can we fast-track smart & young people into leadership positions

- need to change the city's attitude about students, recognize they contribute to the economy, not complain when they come back in the fall, recognize the charitable work they do, not emphasize the negatives when incidents occur, communicate a more welcoming message

- reluctance to accomodate the Gen Y workstyle (e.g. allow them to use social media at work, etc)

- not obvious where the social support groups are, difficult for outsiders to break in to this community - we need to at least be self-aware that that is a problem and we need to make it easier to welcome people to the clubs & resources that exist pertaining to their interests - it's too ad hoc

- demonstrate growth

- community building

- new kind of network oriented around buiding value, constructing something that people recognize they contributed to - that investment engages people and makes it more difficult to move away

- need private sector leadership (sometimes you just have to get lucky) - companies like Labbatts aren't perceived as giving back

- established generation is already comfortable in the social settings ("resting on laurels" at the "Oyster Parties" etc) and intimidates younger people

- perception of London as a conservative, homogeneous community

4. Solutions/key players

- Fanshawe and Western students - 85% of Fanshawe students stay in London

- quality of life and affordability better in London

- family relations, reason to stay

- keeping people who grew up in London

- Emerging Leaders, YPG, GenNext, Engage London

- on-campus incubator with pipeline to downtown - co-op?

- Western has a lot of business connections ... but those companies aren't based in London

- is there a way to retain international students who might want to start business etc?

- ways to open arms to expats who are from London but are currently in other communities?

- groups in other cities are supported by the private sector (e.g. Winnipeg?) allowing them to staff & develop resources

- student-2-business mixer once-per-year is not enough, we need more events like Ignite, etc

- dialog needs to incorporate all the pillars of the community, including corporate, education, philanthropy, municipal.

5. Action points, time considerations (how to move idea onto the public
    agenda, build support, make it happen)

- creation of spousal employment/entrepreneurship program

- a way to pull all of these resources (existing clubs & groups) together

- "club week" for the city

- show the "breadcrumbs" for people to follow to groups

- need employment and support groups

- Prosperity Council

- communicate clearly, in a strong and sustained message that everybody buys into, that there are opportunities for young people - leading organizations need to step forward and build recognition that things are happening organically