Youth survey indicates high interest in youth returning to home towns
The Nebraska Community Foundation, NCF, released its 2022 Youth Survey recently. 57 percent of respondents say they want to live in a small community like their hometown, according to Jeff Yost, CEO of NCF. The recent survey includes responses from 715 middle and high school students in 5 communities. Over the past three years, NCF has surveyed over 3,200 students across Greater Nebraska.
The students suggested that their “ideal community” would feature safety, good schools and proximity to family, much like their very own hometowns. 71 percent of respondents indicated that there was no negative stigma with returning or staying in the place where they now live.
The survey indicated that students’ top career choice is in the health care field with 22 percent favoring that opportunity. Jeff Yost noted that a report by the University of Nebraska Medical Center on healthcare workforce indicates that there is a critical need and “many opportunities exist for young people to join our healthcare workforce in our Nebraska hometowns.” Agriculture, environment and utilities ranked as the next highest preference.
A high percentage of respondents feel engaged in community activities and volunteerism. However, many felt a lack of opportunity in decision making or leadership in their local communities.
Eighty-seven percent of the students of Greater Nebraska youth have current jobs, including summer employment, indicating busy youth and a strong work ethic, according to Dr. Josie Gatti-Schafer. Schafer was one of the survey collaborators at the Center of Public Affairs Research, University of Nebraska at Omaha.
A Perkins County youth survey was also conducted in the spring of 2021 in partnership with Perkins County Schools, the Perkins County Community Foundation Fund, PCCFF, and the Nebraska Community Foundation. High school students were invited to participate with 102 students responding. Results were very similar to the survey conducted by NCF across numerous communities. The highest career preference again was in the health care field, 26%, followed by auto mechanics and agriculture.
Again, the local youth matched up with the state surveys in the area of preferred attributes of their ideal community: safety from violence and theft, good schools and proximity to family in that order of preference. 58% of the students suggested that their “ideal community” would be like their hometown, up from 33% ten year ago, and that they would likely live in such a community in the future.
Concerning job opportunities, Dr. Schafer indicates that “there are over 21,000 open jobs in Greater Nebraska right now” with many openings in areas of student preferences, like the health care field. “Opportunities, like internships or job shadow are a great way to help students on their career path and ensure they understand the potential that exists in their own communities.”
The author is Chair of the Fund Advisory Committee of the Perkins County Community Foundation Fund. PCCFF has a vision of “promoting vibrant communities and a high quality of life” for the County. Government and nonprofit entities can apply for grant funding from the Fund. The PCCFF is a nonprofit 501c3 affiliate of the Nebraska Community Foundation.