I am amazed at the number of young people who say there are no professional jobs in the region. This assumption usually comes after searching on Monster or CareerBuilder. An important note is the best of the best jobs are never advertised. In fact, 80 % of jobs are never advertised.

However, there are several online sources in the region that expose a plethora of these hidden jobs. The Renick Group is one of those sources.

Headhunters, executive recruiters, staffing agencies, whatever you want to call them, I believe hold the key to unlocking a massive amount of opportunities to seekers who are not well connected to the local labor market and cannot unocver the opportunities on their own.

Make these firms your friends and constantly stay in contact with them. Email Coy today. 

You have seen the OBX stickers on the back of windshields for years promoting a particular region or community. This viral marketing approach has contributed to the popularity of the Outer Banks in North Carolina.

Well, Aric Bopp at the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance has created our region’s version of the OBX sticker. It is RNR – Virginia’s Roanoke and New River Valleys.

To request your FREE copy of the sticker send Aric an email.

Richard Florida and colleagues have done it again with another outstanding study on the creative class. This time the study shows how the university can create an atmosphere that will address the three Ts – technology, talent and tolerance. Although Blacksburg and Roanoke are not featured in the study, Charlottesville is.

He created the BDGI index (Brain Drain/Gain Index) by dividing the percentage of adults over 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree or higher by the percentage of the 18-34 population enrolled in post-secondary education. Greater than 1.0 is a brain gain region and only 10 percent of the 331 metro areas (or 33 regions) have greater than 1.0. The remaining 90% have less than 1.0, which means brain drain.    

The study also recommends older industrial cities – like a Roanoke – future economic prosperity rests on forming more super-regional strategies with major university center in its periphery such as Virginia Tech, UVa, and other institutions of higher education in the region.

Ultimately, young adults is the center and focus of this intersting study, and is a must read for all people working on economic and regional issues.