Decline

[tboned]

I had some thoughts I wanted to share with my ZN brothers and sisters.  Maybe I am full of B.S.  Maybe I am blowing smoke. Maybe I am completely off base. Maybe I am just a negative nabob. 

 

I was thinking about my three children.  My 16 nieces and nephews, and my friend’s children all of whom are age 18-34.  A total of about 25 kids almost all of whom are college educated. Only three of the 25 live in the Northeast Ohio, and those three are without University degrees.

 

What does this say about our community?  I think the loss of young people to other areas of the Country is devastating to Akron.

 

What does this out migration say about the future of U of A?

 

I think the opportunities for young people to work grow and live in our community continues to decline and at an accelerated pace.

 

Am I missing something?  Is it political incompetence?  Or maybe just political apathy? 

 

Does anyone in the business community look at these issues? A decline in enrollment at all educational levels. 

The negative effect on housing prices, retail purchasing, cultural amenities virtually every aspect of life needed for a vibrant thriving community.   

 

As I stated earlier, maybe I am off base and full of B.S.

.

Anyone?

[kreed5120]

High school graduation rates are at a high, but the number of kids going to college is decreasing. Kids are seeing their older siblings and cousins graduate with degrees only to end up with a job that doesn't require one. Many kids have also been priced out of going. Had I not gotten a fairly substantial scholarship that covered about 1/2 my expense, I likely wouldn't have gone to college.

[LZIp]

I can't remember where, but I recall seeing something recently that Summit county actually was the only NE Ohio county that saw a population increase within the past x amount of time. I'll try and dig it up.

[LosAngelesZipFan]

I don't think you are off base at all... the cost of a college degree has skyrocketed, way out of proportion to inflation.    Beyond that, there is a huge mismatch between the degrees being pursued and the job opportunities that are emerging-- McKinsey estimates that something like 25 million jobs will go unfilled because people just haven't gotten the right degree or training.  It is a huge economic drag on the economy as a whole. 

 

Ohio is in the bottom third of educational attainment, ranking 38th (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_educational_attainment) despite the number public and private universities.  

 

 

[Balsy]

I agree, I don't think you're off base at all.   Is UA's future in danger?  I don't believe it is.  UA, however, does need to focus itself on building relationships with the local community, and supporting/growing the local community...and not just in business.

 

As for the portion of it being political apathy or political incompetence...well, it's probably both.  Ideologues demagoguing from an ivory tower, instead of actually asking young people about what they think/want/desire.

But I would even go as far as to say it just isn't political...it's also business incompetence and apathy as well.  

 

I almost took a job in Maryland (which paid more than what I get paid now, with benefits that out pace my benefits here), but decided to take the one here because it was a known quantity and I liked the work environment (some of the best people I've ever worked with, and they're willing to invest in me...and have done so already).  There's Loyalty there, and that's not something I thought I'd get in Maryland being somewhat of an outsider.

 

My girlfriend the other day just had a conversation about this very topic.  We're both millennials, college educated (masters).  She desperately wants to work in Akron because she wants to work on growing/supporting the area as do I.  This is home to us.  But we both feel that there has been decades of neglect to the community, and when you have multiple job offers at places more well known than anything in Akron...it becomes very difficult to make that decision. The Akron Young Professionals has get togethers in like 1 of 3 different places every month.  In other cities, in other states, there never at the same place twice.