EXAMPLES OF GLOBAL TALENT ATTRACTION PROGRAMS New Move was influenced by talent attraction programs from Australia and abroad . Some examples of relevant talent attraction programs are outlined below .
• A skills and talent deficit : As identified in the Council ’ s key strategic documents 1 , 2 and with historically moderate population growth , comparatively low tertiary education attainment and a regional economy in economic transition , there is an imperative for skills and talent attraction .
• The need for innovation spaces : Innovation spaces such as landing pads and maker spaces are identified as important enablers for talent attraction , along with networks that match potential investors that will support certain types of people to relocate .
• A lack of evaluation evidence : There is little reported evidence about the success of talent attraction strategies as well as the relative merits of talent versus business attraction . In addition , there is a lack of evaluative evidence as to whether various types of economic development strategies and programs have delivered their anticipated outcomes .
The program sought to attract talent across five selection criteria : communitymindedness , passion , entrepreneurship , diversity and networks , rather than specific industry or technical experience . New Move successfully attracted a varied collection of talented , communityminded , resilient and remote workers and entrepreneurs to relocate to Newcastle .
WHY TALENT ATTRACTION WAS CHOSEN The Brookings Institution 3 argues that talent-focused strategies ( attraction , retention , development and deployment ) need to take precedence over traditional business attraction . The quality of a workforce , in terms of diversity in skills ,
aspirations and dedication to one ’ s trade or enterprise , is far more important to a local economy than merely the range of businesses within that economy .
Talent is recognised as a pre-cursor to economic growth and is a key ingredient in regional economic success . The ability to attract talent is seen by many to unlock a virtuous cycle of development that will drive future productivity and performance . 4 New Move focused on developing and diversifying Newcastle ’ s economy generally by bringing in people from outside of the region to implement and grow their businesses within the local community .
Tulsa Remote ( Oklahoma , U . S ) The program offered 100 remote workers $ 10,000 USD each to relocate to the city , free access to a co-working space , housing discounts and networking opportunities . Tulsa Remote had a considerable application rate ( over 10,000 applications ), with 100 selected and 70 accepting the offer . Although ‘ Remoters ’ had access to a free co-working space ( for one year ), many preferred to work from home . Additionally , there were potential issues with participants not integrating with the local community . 5 Tulsa Remote is similar to New Move in its target demographic and design . For example , both had a broad multimedia marketing campaign for the city and program , a financial incentive provided to move , an offer of free co-working and program infrastructure to embed participants in the local ecosystem and community .
Choose Topeka ( Kansas , U . S ) The Choose Topeka relocation incentive was designed to attract on-site and remote workers to Shawnee County , selecting up to 60 candidates per year and offering up to $ 15,000 USD to encourage talent to move to the city . In its first year of operation , Choose Topeka attracted 40 workers and created $ 3.2 million regional economic impact . 6 Topeka ’ s population is around half the size of Newcastle ’ s , with the majority of Topeka ’ s population being employed by the government .
The Creative Class Hypothesis ( Launceston , Tasmania , Australia ) As Newcastle and Launceston both share features such as the presence of a university and a natural landscape that is appealing to ‘ tree-change / sea-change ’ movers this project provides relevant observations for New Move . In a study of migrants to Launceston 7 , the following reasons were cited as major pull factors to Launceston : better quality of life or improved lifestyle ; attractive natural environment ; family ties ; and the presence of a university . While cultural factors were noted as secondary reasons for migration they played a key role in the retention of migrants in Launceston .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 15 NO 2 2022 17