Press Release Archive

Friday, January 11, 2008

Lt. Governor Judge and Generation Iowa Commission Releases "Road Map to Recruit and Retain Young People to Iowa"

Sweeping Recommendations Encourage Legislators to Bridge Iowa's Wage Gap and Reduce Student Debt, Expand Career Pathways, Invest in Quality of Life Amenities and Improve the State's Image

(Des Moines) — Today, Lt. Governor Patty Judge and the 15-member Generation Iowa Commission released its "Road Map to Recruit and Retain Young People to Iowa," a sweeping list of recommendations aimed at taking full advantage of Iowa’s “brain gain” and making Iowa a destination and a home for future generations.

In their report, the Generation Iowa Commission identified that Iowa is 6th in the nation, and number #1 in the Midwest, in “brain gain” migration. This means while just over 4,000 Iowa high school students leave the state for college, more than 12,200 out-of-state students come to Iowa for college – a “brain gain” of 8,200 young people.

The proposals in the report aim to bridge Iowa's wage gap and reduce student debt, expand the state's career pathways, invest in quality of life amenities and improve the state's overall image.

"I want to thank the 15 talented young people on the Generation Iowa Commission for agreeing to serve the state and make Iowa a better place to live," said Lt. Gov. Judge. "We have asked you to help us develop proposals that will make Iowa more attractive to young professionals, recruit and retain the best and brightest workers, and meet the economic challenges we face. Governor Culver and I know that by making the state more attractive for young people, we will create new opportunities for thousands of Iowans, and build a brighter, more vibrant future for Iowa."

"Last year, the Legislature and the Governor showed wisdom and vision by creating this Commission to ask young people directly about why they are leaving the state is such large numbers," said Commission Chair Kyle Carlson of Colfax. "It is our hope that our work will inspire the legislature to show that same wisdom and vision in their efforts to enact policy based on the recommendations in this report. We also hope to further inspire our generation of peers and future generations of young Iowans to get involved with this issue and government policy overall."

"Although our time together as a group has been short, the commission has gathered information, communicated with relevant constituencies, identified best practices and developed data-driven solutions that we feel are realistic, reasonable, nonpartisan and absolutely necessary," said Commission Vice-Chair Rachel Judisch of Lake View. "We pledge to continue this important work to provide the Legislature and the Governor’s office with the clearest pathway for moving forward in the most effective ways possible."

A listing of the recommendations includes:

Bridging Iowa's Wage Gap and Reducing Student Loan Debt

  • Create a higher education tax credit, a roll-over tax credit based on Iowa residency with a 10-year window for individuals age 35 and under who have earned a bachelor’s degree within the previous 10 years.
  • Create a targeted student loan repayment assistance program, a progressive schedule of student loan repayments, based on Iowa residency and employment in a critical needs profession to be determined by state officials. Eligibility would be limited to those individuals age 35 and under, living in Iowa, and working in Iowa in the capacity required in accordance with a critical needs profession designation. This program should not be limited in any way based on where the person went to school.
  • Adjust Iowa's tax incentives structure, redefining the Grow Iowa Values Fund wage thresholds to only consider \the company's average wage instead of allowing calculations of average wage and benefits. The commission also recommends that the Iowa Department of Economic Development should give priority to job creation projects that have wage projections that are at least 145 percent of the county's average wage.
  • Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates.
  • Eliminate the income limit on the student loan tax deduction.
  • Require Iowa's higher education institutions to provide students with differences between federal and private loans, a monthly student loan payment estimate, and reasonable student loan indebtedness counseling.

Expanding Iowa's Career Pathways

  • Create a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship program with a residency expectation to retain the state's most exemplary students.
  • Eliminate "non-compete" clauses from state government contracts and limit the enforceability of private contracts.
  • Create or support an online, statewide job and internship bank.
  • Expand the Accelerated Career Education program to include Iowa's growth and critical needs professions, and allow four-year colleges and universities offering specific advanced degrees to participate in the program.
  • Encourage a greater number of government contracts to be given to businesses owned by Iowans age 35 and under.
  • Amend State Boards and Commissions requirements to demand more voting members age 35 and under and encourage local communities to self-impose the same.
  • Find ways to encourage/develop/market agricultural career pathways beyond traditional farming (i.e. renewable energy, agricultural sector insurance and financing, etc.)

Investing in Quality of Life Issues and Amenities for Young People

  • Develop pathways for interaction amongst young Iowans by embracing community development principles; promoting social, cultural and entertaining events, social networking Web sites and networking opportunities; and exploring ways to maintain high school and college alumni networks.
  • Encourage families to recruit their loved ones back to Iowa.
  • Expand the state's commitment to attraction programs like the Vision Iowa, Main Street and the Community Attraction and Tourism programs to continue developing cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities.
  • Develop infrastructure necessary to provide statewide access to high-speed Internet.
  • Provide additional assistance to communities for ongoing festivals and events that utilize the input of Iowans age 35 and under.
  • Create a framework to direct state resources to support the development of green and sustainable communities – both urban and rural.
  • Work to coordinate all social events and opportunities in Iowa through a unified, statewide website for young Iowans: GenerationIowa.com.

Improving State Image Through Effective Marketing

  • Develop and provide adequate funding for an in-state and national marketing campaign to change Iowa’s image amongst young adults with consultation from the Generation Iowa Commission.
  • Increase funding for Iowa’s tourism industry to encourage more people to see what Iowa is really like.
  • In all marketing efforts, strive to depict Iowa’s true diversity in any and all categories.
  • Create a Generation Iowa Commission Award that annually recognizes a business, industry, or organization that exemplifies best practice in the attraction and retention of young professionals.

To download the Road Map or learn more about the commission, visit: http://www.iowalifechanging.com/generation.