It summarises the common features of an effective approach and provides simple guidance for practitioners on the ways in which economic development professionals can define a strategy that best fits their region .
LEARNING FROM OTHER REGIONS To provide a foundation for future strategy development a mixture of Australian and international strategies was reviewed . Key elements and the mix of approaches undertaken by different regions , as well as available evidence of success was compared .
These strategies are less common in Australia than overseas . Two relevant Australian examples include the Grampians population and workforce attraction strategy and the longstanding EvoCities collaboration of regional cities in NSW and Victoria .
EvoCities has focussed on creating an online platform for potential worker engagement and then facilitating interested people to connect with local employers and opportunities . As of 2018 , EvoCities identified its campaign as playing a role in more than 3,415 families relocating to participating regional cities .
The Grampians strategy is more recently formed and is focussed on a wider attraction scope including business , lifestyle movers and workers . It is a primarily a marketing campaign , that acknowledged but did not directly addressing wider workforce attraction and retention issues . A twelve- month evaluation identified the need for sustained marketing and strategies to overcome barriers such as housing availability which are limiting attraction outcomes in the area .
There is contrast in scope of ambition between these Australian initiatives and the best international examples identified by the review .
Whilst Australian strategies have mostly focussed on general promotion of the region and connecting interested workers to local jobs , international approaches integrate workforce development , welcoming initiatives , migration , and programs to address constraints in housing and services .
Several international examples provide a strong framework for Australian professionals looking to craft a local approach .
The Huron County ( Ontario , Canada ) approach provides a framework of initiatives that is readily available to local and regional economic development professionals and responds to the key weaknesses in many Australian approaches ( Figure 1 ).
Huron pursues a five-pronged strategy including community preparation ( multicultural strategy , issue communication ), promotion of the community to workers outside the region , employer support to lift recruitment success , settlement support to enhance the relocation experience and welcome and community connection .
In a similar vein , Roanoke ( Virginia , USA ) integrates promotion and marketing , help for business , leveraging local education and training assets and initiatives to foster local diversity .
Building on this framework , Sherbrooke- Innopole ( Quebec , Canada ) provides a more detailed insight into what of a business focussed approach can entail . This approach integrates strategy workshops and advice , packaging of skills , funding and recruitment support .
In contrast , Highland and Islands Enterprise ( Scotland ) strategy is representative of the key levers that are available when higher levels with additional policy levers are involved . This strategy brings together regional promotion , housing investment , education and skills packaging and
Figure 1 .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 16 NO 1 2023 07