Columbia Talent Magnet Project

“The war for talent is the number one competitive issue facing companies in the U.S.” -McKinsey & Company, Inc., the War for Talent, 2001

THE BACKGROUND:                                                                        Talent matters, maybe more than ever before. In the new economy, cities and regions will be the new drivers of economic activity for our world. Like never before, the "power of place" is the key, and companies go to where the talent is. 

Our ability to attract and retain young, highly educated, and engaged workers will be one of the major drivers for economic growth in Columbia. From a plethora of restaurants, nightlife, and green spaces to a depth and breadth of job opportunities, affordable housing and a safe environment... these are the issues that affect our ability to attract and retain the best. 

The Columbia Talent Magnet Project was created by EngenuitySC in late 2007 as a collaboration among our region's leading organizations focused on community and economic development. Key partners on the project are EngenuitySC, The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Columbia's Opportunity Resource (COR), the Columbia Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau, and the SC Council on Competitiveness.

THE VISION:
The Columbia Talent Magnet Project seeks a dynamic riverbanks region where education, economic prosperity, community engagement, quality of life, and peak experiences attract and retain the best and the brightest talent to fuel our growth in the knowledge-based economy. 


THE MISSION:
The Columbia Talent Magnet Project seeks to build a collaborative of universities, colleges, community leadership organizations, and the business community to create a dynamic interaction focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining young, mobile knowledge workers.

THE GOALS: 
The CTMP will focus on five core programs to design, develop, and deploy throughout the region:

  1. Create a shared vision for Columbia as a talent magnet; a destination city
  2. Promote Columbia as a destination city, talent as key economic opportunity, unify the messages
  3. Connect university students to the dynamic Columbia business & entrepreneurial community
  4. Increase the number of students, young professionals, and transplants connecting into Columbia's civic community
  5. Create an environment which embraces an entrepreneurial spririt and start-up opportunities


THE REPORT:
To explore the challenge of attracting and retaining young knowledge workers, CTMP teamed up with the Southern Growth Policies Board to survey the region's residents in the fall of 2008 and to host a forum to initiate a dialogue among students, young professionals, community leaders and government officials. A report was developed to share the results of that effort and to inspire the community to take action with a list of recommendations from the Southern Growth Policies Board.
The Report.
The Full Survery Results.

FIND OUT MORE:
Our Blog: http://columbiatalent.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/group.php?gid=26782101715&ref=ts


PARTNERS: