Young People in Boise (Pocatello: job market, high school, community college)

[boisebronco]

I am a Boise native who left for college and am now back in town and working for a company downtown. One thing I have noticed about Boise (after visiting Portland, Seattle, and living in briefly in LA) is that there is either a lack of young 20 something professionals or they just aren't very concentrated.

So my question is this? How do we attract more young professionals to the area. I'm 23, but most people my age all want to head to Portland or Seattle. It seems like the city is so focused on being family oriented that they aren't appealing to the younger generation... one that they will desperately need in the coming years. This valley can't sustain an economy of the retirees that keep moving here.

Thoughts...?

[boisefan88]

Wait a few days and you'll get the usual suspects here who swear there are more young professionals per capita in Boise than anywhere else, especially SLC and Portland, that they work downtown everyday and see hoards of them, and that if you aren't seeing them you're either not looking or they are all out skiing, running rivers or biking in the foothills.

As for me...

I think you'll find them all working in the restaurants or retail around town.

[boisebronco]

Exactly, most of the people I know here my age are still here from high school and are working part time jobs in service industries. There may be more young people per capita in Boise, but there definitely isn't a large population of educated 20 somethings with professional jobs here.

[truckingbronco]

The general perception of Boise from the younger crowd who haven't been here isn't exactly positive from what I've seen. I moved here for work in my mid to late 20s and received plenty of "you're moving to Boise? Why?" type comments. Friends and family that have visited are generally surprised as they basically expected a slightly larger Pocatello or Billings.

Boise definitely lacks the hip reputation of Portland, Seattle, and Denver that tend to attract the younger crowd and it's more of a family town, it seems. I remember being amazed at how young people were getting married and having kids, especially in the burbs. There's aspects of Boise that are great for the young and single, but as a whole they're a small slice of the valley and are still very family friendly events attended by all ages. Hyde Park Street Fair, for example.

The professional job market isn't great to those with no experience or connections and the brain drain of younger crowd vs the influx of retirees is definitely a concern.

Not to say that there isn't positive aspects about being young in Boise and I'm happy to have made the move, but its reputation just doesn't measure up to the other areas mentioned for the majority of 20-somethings. Just my opinion, I'm sure a few will vehemently disagree.

[grmi66]

What I saw at my old church was about a third of the kids left town to go to college, a third went to the military and a third stuck around Boise to either go to BSU or work a service job. Of the college age people that I knew, maybe a third of the ones that left town for college or the military came back to Boise by the time they were done with school or service. Boise needs more than call centers and a few software companies to keep a wide age range of people in town.

[Hp1167]

But the Chamber of Commerce swears we're a "creative class" magnet!!!!

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by Hp1167

But the Chamber of Commerce swears we're a "creative class" magnet!!!!

Met someone from the Chamber who off the record let me know that the lack of a highly skilled and educated work force and lack of a community college (this was right before TVCC opened) had already cost the Boise area a few big relocations or company expansions. But officially on the record did a great job of telling our group that we were a "creative class" magnet.

[zoso1979]

Originally Posted by grmi66

Met someone from the Chamber who off the record let me know that the lack of a highly skilled and educated work force and lack of a community college (this was right before TVCC opened) had already cost the Boise area a few big relocations or company expansions. But officially on the record did a great job of telling our group that we were a "creative class" magnet.

In recent years this has become common knowledge. I know I've heard it several times and Steve Appleton (Micron) essentially said the same thing.

TVCC is in Ontario and opened in 1962 it's not exactly accessible the further you go east in the valley. Do you mean CWI? It started in a small way in 2007. Yes, it was WAY late in coming but personally I'm grateful it's finally here and we have more options to add to BSU and the profit education.

"Creative class magnet" ?? sounds like putting lipstick on a pig to me. I've heard many times that Idaho has a high rate of entrepreneurship. Personally I believe it's because of a shortage of large or many employers with well paid poisitions. When a larger company downsizes, gets bought our, moves or closes, there are generally not enough openings to replace the lost jobs. It's can be specially difficult for those who've been at their position for sometime and do not have a huge professional network. People often try and make it on their own or leave.

That said I do aplaud CWI and BSU growing programs and the citys engagement witn encouraging young professionals!

[grmi66]

I stand corrected, I meant CWI. Still pretty incredible that a mid-sized metropolitan area that is also the state capital lacked a community college until a few years ago.