Talent Attraction Efforts Take Off In Suburban Counties, With Help From COVID-19

An annual study ranks Hamilton County as the highest-ranked large county in Indiana for attracting skilled workers, thanks, in part, to trends accelerated by COVID-19.

Economic modeling company EMSI compiles data around education levels, migration, and job growth for counties across the country. It sells that information to local areas so they can make informed workforce development strategies.

Carol Sergi with the Hamilton County Economic Development Corporation said, based on the data, they started targeting people in their 20s and 30s to look at jobs in the county.

Their goal is to attract young families, college graduates, and veterans to the area using internet browsing data – and the help of workforce-focused tech startup TMap – to find job candidates and then market amenities in Hamilton County to draw them in. 

“We’ve been able to identify what our growing industries are, where those people are located, and what areas do we have an advantage to attract them here,” Sergi said.

She’s also especially interested in engaging locals who went to a four-year college, but didn’t get a degree and returned home. 

“So we’re really trying to work with those folks and help them with other training opportunities that could really get them on a great career path that has high paying jobs, and [fill] needs that we have in the county,” Sergi said.

Suburban counties around Indianapolis saw an increase in skilled workers moving to their area as more people worked from home in 2020. While the trend of workers moving away from cities has been happening for several years, it increased due to the pandemic. 

EMSI ranked both Hamilton and Hendricks counties – both donut counties encircling Indianapolis – in the top 100 large counties across the country for their talent attraction success this year. 

Contact reporter Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.