Job Ambassador Program

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Job Ambassador Program

• Amanda Hess
• YPIowa Board Member, Program Chair
• Director of Donor Resources,
• Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center

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YPIowa

• Iowas Statewide YPO
• Started in 2004 with statewide conferences
• Board and committee work started in 2007
• Mission
• To connect and engage young professional in Iowa
  to take responsibility for the growth of their
  community and state.
• YP Young Professional
• YPO Young Professional Organization

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YPIowa

• Iowa is ahead of most states
• Only a handful of states have a statewide
  organization (Florida, New Mexico, North Dakota)
• Over 100 YPOs throughout the state of Iowa
• Most states just see YP groups within metro
  markets and not within the rural cities.

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YPIowa

• 501 ( c )( 3 ) organization affiliated with the
  Iowa Association of Business and Industry
  Foundation.
• YPIowa Board made up of 15 young leaders from
  around the state of Iowa

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YPIowa

• Board of Directors made of YPs, meets 4 times a
  year
• Provides monthly newsletter to YPs across the
  state
• Provides web site, Facebook, LinkedIn, blog
• Hosts Annual Leadership Conference
• Hosts YP Leaders Academy
• Assists with new existing YPO development
• Advocates for YP interests around the state
• All resources can be found at
• www.ypiowa.com

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Forming of Generation Commission

• YPIowa was at the desk when the
• Governor Culver signed
  bill to create the
• 1st statewide YP
  commission in the nation!
• YPIowa encouraged YPs to sign-up for the
  Generation Iowa Commission. He had a pool of
  over 250 to choose from!
• Generation Iowa Commission is a commission under
  the Iowa Department of Economic Development and
  has access to statistics and also the ear of
  legislators.

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Generation Iowa Commission

• Working since 2007 to help Iowas business,
  government and community leaders stop this.

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Generation Iowa Commission

• Out-migration leads to a projection of plunging
  workforce population

Iowas workforce is peaking in size. In 10
years, Iowas workforce will lose about 60,000
people every 5 years. to losing a Principal,
UIHC or Rockwell Collins every year. Data
Source IWD
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Generation Iowa Commission

• From 2005 to 2007, Iowa has moved up to
  second-to-last in the Midwest in key wage metric.
  Data Source IWD

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Generation Iowa Commission

• In 2008, Generation Iowa surveyed 1000 Iowans
  about why they would leave.
• Highest Priorities
• 1. Highest Paying Job in their Field of Study
• Other Tie-Breaker Priorities
• 2. Demographic-Specific Amenities and
  Attractions
• 3. Options for Career Advancement Mentoring
• 4. Cost-of-living Student Debt repayment

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Generation Iowa Commission

• Brain Drain is a symptom of a lack of jobs for
  people with advanced degrees

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Generation Iowa Commission

• What does the world look like to a college
  graduate?
• 62 of Iowas high school graduates go to college
• 33 of Next Generation Iowans will get a
  Bachelors degree
• 24 of workforce aged Iowans already have a
  Bachelors degree
• 12.2 of currently available jobs require a BA or
  higher
• Iowa has relatively fewer career opportunities,
  without concentrated industry clustering New
  Economy capital-efficient industries

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Generation Iowa Commission

• State-Level Policy Recommendations
• More ambitious state Job Creation programs to
  better funnel efforts toward high-skill jobs
• Next Generation members on states economic
  development, education and quality-of-life boards
  
• Double IDED support of small business internships

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Generation Iowa Commission

• www.generationiowa.com

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YPIowa Ambassador Program

• Volunteers throughout Iowa help to connect
  young talent seeking to move or stay in Iowa with
  career, business and community-based
  opportunities.
• This program provides networking
  opportunities, word-of-mouth references and
  resources to aid YP job seekers in efforts to
  find employment in Iowa.

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YPIowa Ambassador Program

• YPIowa wanted to create a program that
• Addresses the growing workforce needs of the
  state of Iowa.
• Creates a network for those who want to pursue
  job opportunities within Iowa.
• Attracts and retains young professional in Iowa.

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YPIowa Ambassador Program

• We need young,
• educated Iowans
• to secure
• our future

• YPs want to
• stay, but cant
• find an
• appropriate job

YPIowa created the Job Ambassadors
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YPIowa Ambassador Program

• There are current gaps or perceived gaps in
  career offerings for YPs throughout the state.
• YPs leave the state to pursue higher paying jobs.
  Also, have trouble finding job opportunities
  when they graduate college
• YPs then have trouble connecting to jobs when
  they want to move back to their hometown

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YPIowa Ambassador Program

• YPIowa recognized that in order to keep young
  talent in the state and encourage new young
  talent to move to Iowa, there must be career
  opportunities for them.
• YPs must have a means to enjoy the high
  quality of life that Iowa can offer.

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Career Path

• How did you find out about your current job?
• Newspaper
• Online Posting
• Iowa Workforce
• Temp Agencies
• Networking
• Got recruited
• Told about the opening

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors
I want to move back to my hometown in IA. Do you
know of any opportunities for someone with an IT
degree?
Ive got a position in IT open here at company
XYZ. Do you know of a YP making a move within
this field?
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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Regional Advisors in Test Markets
• Oversees region, ensures tracking/accountability
• Delivers leads, resources to/from Ambassadors
• Acts as liaison between statewide and local
  efforts
• Greg Hoffman, NW Iowa (Sioux City)
• Amanda Hess, Central/Eastern Iowa (Quad Cities)
• Wade Den Hartog, Central Iowa (Des Moines)
• Lynn Olberding, Central Iowa (Marshalltown)

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Job Ambassadors (Pilot Program)
• Act on leads within specific cities/communities
• Connect YP job candidates with networking
• Connect YP job candidates with resources
• Follow up and track outcomes
• NW Iowa (Sioux City)
• Beth Trejo, Jon Murad, Virginia Anderson
• Eastern/Central Iowa (Quad Cities)
• Nicole Martin, Jillian McCleary, Andrea Sue Boeye
• Central Iowa (Marshalltown)
• Janelle Holmgren, Megan Bagnall
• Central Iowa (Des Moines)
• Adam Steen, Amanda Brend, Lawrence Cunningham,
  Adam Kaduce,
• Ashley Okland, Amy Huynh, Catherine Berardi

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Act as a link between local and regional
  statewide efforts
• Close any gaps in communication or resources that
  act as barriers for both YPs and employers
• Resource for YPs interested in staying or moving
  to the state to find the opportunities they need.
• Assist employers to get connected to young
  qualified job candidates.

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Who is all involved?
• Statewide and local government initiatives /
  commissions
• Statewide workforce programs such as IWD and IDED
• Local Chambers of Commerce
• Universities and Colleges, Technical and
  Community Colleges
• Trades, Associations and Unions
• Human Resource Organizations
• Civic Organizations
• Business Leaders

Did not want to recreate the wheel Found
partnerships throughout the communities
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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• How does this benefit companies?
• Connected YPs (Ambassadors) can identify
  qualified candidates that have not applied or are
  not aware of the opportunities that exist.
• This networking program provides business with
  access to YPs that are passionate about this area
  and want to make this home. Employers want young
  talent that is willing to stay and grow with the
  organization.
• Some jobs are not posted in traditional ways and,
  through word of mouth, employers may come across
  a YP that could fit a new opening or specialized
  need.

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Email
• jobs_at_ypiowa.com
• Everything sent to this e-mail will be forwarded
  to the Regional Advisors where the job is located
  or where the YP wishes to find their job
  opportunity.

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What to send?

• Company with Jobs
• City position located
• Job description
• Specific requirements
• Permission to promote your position to YPs
• We will send you the resume so you know they come
  from this program.

• Individuals seeking Job
• City wish to locate to
• Type of position you are looking for
• Resume
• Permission to forward resume to job opportunities

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YPIowa Job Ambassadors

• Questions?
• www.ypiowa.com
• jobs_at_ypiowa.com
• Amanda Hess
• Chair, YPIowa Ambassador Program 2009
• Director Donor Resources
• Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center
• [phone]
• ahess_at_mvrbc.com