I attended a Concord Board of Realtors Membership Meeting today.
To stay in good standing or qualify for certain designations we are required by our Board to attend a certain number of meetings each year.
I assume this is pretty much the same from State to State.
We had the usual Inductions, Honored the Realtor of The Year and the Affiliate of the Year plus some other acknowledgements. But for me the high point of the morning was the Speakers.
One of them was Dr.Stephen Reno, Chancellor of the NH University System. Dr. Reno gave an informed and impassioned presentation of The 55% Initiative.
As Realtors we are only too aware of the changing demographic of New Hampshire. Our population is aging. They are moving to parts South or down-sizing. We are experiencing a serious lack of Affordable Housing and Business is suffering a serious deficiency of talented, motivated and educated workers.
Much of this is due, in part, to the exodus of the young people graduating form our University System.
The 55% Initiative is a group of Educators, Business Heads and other interested parties who have joined together to study and to address this phenomenon......
Did you know that about half of the students who graduate from the University System, after earning four-year degrees, leave the State. The objective of the Initiative is to recover at least 5% of these young people. They plan to send surveys to current and 5 year removed Graduates who have left the State and asking them Why they left and if they plan to return... and if they have returned...why? They are starting a Mentoring Program in co-operation with school principals. This program will pair College students with students in the sixth grade who may be financially dis-advantaged... but talented. The Mentors continue with "their" student through 8th grade. This is an attempt to encourage students who may not necessarily be on the college track to reach for that goal. The Initiative feels this increases the odds of the young people staying in New Hampshire!
Involved Businesses are looking at seting up Apprentice Programs that may lead to Employment. Another way to keep the talent here!
It became clear that as Realtors we have much to gain from and much to offer to this Program. Our President Bonnie Guiven expressed interest in becoming a part of it.
If the State of New Hampshire retains more of Her educated young citizens...businesses will grow and prosper. As business grows and prospers like people are attracted to the State. Conversely more people equals a need for affordable housing construction to accommodate young,educated and contributing citizens!
I for one will be following this 55% Initiative with great interest!
If you are interested in learning more about it... go to http://www.usnh.edu/
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Hi Joan: This is very interesting and very timely. I was just discussing this problem with one of the senators in my district and he didn't believe this information. I will send this on to him. It appears that the jobs that are being created in this state do not pay "bread winner" salaries - therefore, we cannot keep the college graduates -- As you point out afforadable housing in another issue --