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Chamber focuses on young workers
5/12/2008 12:10 AM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By APRIL BAILEY
Staff writer
While Aiken has been known to attract retirees, the All-America City hasn't done as well with retaining young professionals in the area, David Jameson says he observed two years ago.
After returning to Aiken from North Carolina, the Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce president and CEO said he noticed a "hole" in the younger age bracket that was not as obvious when he left.
"When I got back and started making my way around the community, I noticed that there were not as many young professionals as there were when I was here," Jameson said.
He said the issue is one affecting many communities throughout the country as the workforce nears retirement.
"What Aiken cannot become is a service economy, providing services just for old folks," Jameson said. "We need to maintain a good, solid economy for young people to thrive and create careers."
After his observation, Jameson said the Chamber decided to look further into the issue. Its board of directors created a group called the Blue Ribbon Panel, which spent six months studying ways to keep younger professional-minded people in the area by selecting participants to fill out surveys.
The surveys asked questions concerning things that draw young people to Aiken and what young professionals like about the community. Based on the panel's recommendation, the Chamber decided to create a Young Professionals Initiative.
Described as a social network for young professionals between the ages of 22 and 39, Jameson says the new group will provide an opportunity for younger people to interact with other professionals who have the same goals and interests.
"This will be more about social networking than business, but of course there will be business networking," he said.
Paivi Nettamo, who leads the group's steering committee, along with Tom Young Jr., said that by creating the group, organizers hope to attract young people to the area, provide a means of recruitment for local companies and keep young people already in the area here.
Nettamo, who helped to create a similar type of social group in Greenville in 2001, said organizers are looking to get about 250 people involved in the early stages of the group. As the group grows, Nettamo says she hopes the young professionals will have more of a presence in the community by starting a mentoring program with college students. She said the group also plans to create another program in which older Aikenites can mentor young professionals.
The group will hold its first event, called "The Gathering," on Thursday at Cafe Monet, 752 Silver Bluff Road, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Those between the ages of 22 and 39 and employed by members of the Aiken Chamber are encouraged to attend.
"We don't know where this will go, but we know we're on the right path," Jameson said.
To RSVP, call 649-1200, ext. 500, or e-mail Amanda Taylor at ataylor@aikenchamber.net.
Contact April Bailey at abailey@aikenstandard.com.



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