Our Process
This graphic is a blueprint representation of our voices, opinions, and thoughts while developing the direction of our project.
Survey Insights
The 2020-2021 Wilson Leadership Institute distributed a 52 question survey digitally to young adults in Wilson County, targeting individuals between the ages of 18 and 40. The cohort received ~75 responses from self-identified young professionals across Wilson County over the span of two months. These responses serve to inform the cohort on the variety of experiences and perspectives of young professionals living in Wilson including factors behind their choice to stay/relocate here, definitions of what a “young professional” is, barriers they experience in the community, and their vision of the future of Wilson. In evaluating these responses and using them as a guide in the research that the cohort collected, we hope that they serve to illuminate the diverse experiences of young professionals in our community, and how we may better support the attraction and retention of this population in Wilson County.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Survey Respondents Who Grew Up in Wilson or Surrounding Areas:
58%
WORK EXPERIENCE
Survey Respondents Who Work in Wilson:
73%
Survey Respondents’ Average Rating for Work Experience:
7.6 out of 10
Survey Respondents’ Who Have Been in their Profession less than 5 Years:
44.3%
Survey Respondents’ Who Have Been in their Profession less than 5 Years:
44.3%
COMMUNITY
Survey Respondents’ That Feel They “Have Community” in Wilson:
66%
Survey Respondents’ Average Willingness to Become Involved:
4.2 out of 5
FUTURE
Survey Respondents’ Average Rating On Hopefulness for their Future in Wilson:
4.2 out of 5
What is Wilson already doing?
A few examples of existing local initiatives, businesses, or organizations that support the attraction and retention of young talent by offering and supporting programming, opportunities, and experiences that engage young professionals across Wilson County:
Community Amenities​
Higher Education​​
Events
Organizations/Initiatives
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Research Links
Feiler, D. C., & Kleinbaum, A. M. (2015). Popularity, Similarity, and the Network Extraversion Bias. Psychological Science, 26(5), 593–603. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797615569580
Qian, X., & Jaller, M. (2020). Bikesharing, equity, and disadvantaged communities: A case study in Chicago. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 140, 354–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2020.07.004
Wysen, K. (2021). Listen and be ready to shift: How racial equity and community leadership launched “communities of opportunity”. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice : JPHMP, 27(1), E48–E56. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001048
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Community health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dch/about/index.htm
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2020). Health-related quality of life and well-being. Healthy People 2020. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Health-…
Njemanze, I. (2016). How can firms located in rural areas better position themselves to attract and retain millennial talent? Retrieved 12/02/20 from Cornell University, ILR School site: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/student/111
Verma, P., Ford, J. A., Stuart, A., Howe, A., Everington, S., & Steel, N. (2016). A systematic review of strategies to recruit and retain primary care doctors. BMC health services research, 16, 126. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1370-1
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Dobrev, SD, Merluzzi, J. Stayers versus movers: Social capital and early career imprinting among young professionals. J Organ Behav. 2018; 39: 67– 81. https://doi-org.liblink.uncw.edu/10.1002/job.2210
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Marcie Zaharee, Tristan Lipkie, Stewart K. Mehlman, & Susan K. Neylon (2018) Recruitment and Retention of Early-Career Technical Talent, Research-Technology Management, 61:5, 51-61, DOI: 10.1080/08956308.2018.1495966
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Articles which discuss/examine diversity in community:
Lichter, D. T. (2012). Immigration and the new racial diversity in rural America. Rural Sociology, 77(1), 3-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1549-0831.2012.00070.x
Comprehensive Plan 2030: https://www.wilsonnc.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=574
Comprehensive Plan Progress Report 2019: https://www.wilsonnc.org/home/showpublisheddocument?id=574
Wilson Miracle Field: https://www.wilsonnc.org/residents/all-departments/parks-recreation/wilson-city-miracle-field
Education: https://www.wilsonschoolsnc.net/
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