Competing for Young Talent
“Calgary’s future economic and social prosperity is directly linked to its ability to retain, attract and develop young people. ”
Calgary has historically been a magnet for young Canadians. By most livability metrics, including career opportunities, active living, and arts and culture, Calgary is exceptionally well positioned. In fact, Calgary is consistently ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit as North America’s most livable city. However, over the past decade both Alberta and Calgary has started to see an increase in young people leaving the province and city. The challenge is Calgary’s future economic and social prosperity is directly linked to its ability to retain, attract and develop young people. So what should community leaders do?
“41% of respondents from Vancouver
and Toronto state they would never
consider moving to Calgary.”
To answer this question, a youth mobility research program was developed as a collaborative project between partners including the Canada West Foundation, the Government of Canada, Calgary Economic Development, Calgary Arts Development Authority, the ActiveCITY Collective, and Stone-Olafson. A year long study was released in 2022, exploring the drivers of youth mobility in Alberta. This study explored four questions.
Is there evidence that there is an accelerating trend of young adults leaving or considering leaving Alberta?
Is there evidence that Alberta and Calgary are not perceived as leading destinations for attracting young Canadians?
What are the key factors driving a young person to choose a place to live?
What are young adults’ perceptions of Alberta and Calgary?
How can Alberta and Calgary drive increased retention and acquisition of young Canadians?
“The key to the attraction
and retention of young talent for Alberta comes down to telling better stories
and telling them in better ways.”
In 2022, four reports were completed focusing on these key questions:
Live to Work: Alberta Youth Mobility
