Aligning available jobs with the correct skills is a challenge that cities across the globe will have to solve.
“Producing and attracting talent with the right mix of skills for today, and doing what it takes to create local employment opportunities is not just necessary, it’s the whole game,” said Robert Bell, author of Brain Gain. “Technology-based disruption has raised the difficulty to a whole new level. The places we call home are either experiencing brain gain or brain drain – and the difference defines the path of prosperity and the quality of life in a community.”
In his book Bell, along with co-authors John Jung and Louis Zacharilla, provide examples of cities that are doing the right things and getting the right results.
For example, Chattanooga declared itself a Big City in 2012 due to the its fiber-to-the premise network built by the municipal electric utility. A project, dubbed Gig University, was created to attract entrepreneurs and students to create businesses that could make use of the network’s capacity. Working with the area Chamber of Commerce this city was successful in attracting a Volkswagen assembly plant, an IBM simulation center as well as an Amazon.com distribution center.
Some regions are able to transform themselves such as the Finger Lake region located in upstate New York. Working with educational institutions and local municipalities, the area established one of the first “technology farms.” Located in Geneva, N.Y. the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park is a joint venture between Cornell University, the city of Geneva and the state of New York. It is home to 10 emerging businesses operating in two labs and four production facilities.