Central Ohio Explores Ways to Capitalize on its “Talent Dividend”

CEOs for Cities is meeting with officials in 30 major cities, including Columbus, to help officials explore how they can increase their share of adults 25 and older with four-year degrees.  In what it refers to as the “talent dividend” calculation, Cities for CEOs says that a 1percentage point gain in the college graduation rate equates to a $763 per-capita income increase (based on 2006 federal data).  That would mean that by boosting Columbus’ four-year degreed residents from 32.5 percent to 33.5 percent could mean an additional $1.3 billion in income for the city. 

ColumbusChamber CEO Ty Marsh says the region already has strong footing in this area with an internship pipeline between the state’s colleges and a better-than average share of residents with four-year degrees.  The city has also been actively engaging young professionals, linking them with peers and students for social, service and professional networking. 

“One of Columbus’ great assets has been the quality of its work force, but one of the opportunities and challenges of the new century is, ‘how do you attract them and how do you keep them?’” says Marsh.

For more details, including a link to posted action plans by all the 30 cities participating in the CEOs for Cities tour, see the story in Business First