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by finding new markets, developing
new value-chain alliances and creating
new products. In order to support job
creation, Hill advised investing in an
entrepreneurial ecosystem— a layered
system that encourages entrepreneur-
ial activity by aligning investments in:
●
●
Material resources, such as access to
capital.
●
●
An entrepreneurial culture that
expects, encourages, and engages
new ideas.
●
●
Human capital to drive innovation.
Investments in an entrepreneurial
ecosystem recognize that human
capital forms the core of economic
innovation, but that individuals need
support to convert their ideas into
economic activity. Hill stated that
since youth are the talent of the future,
entrepreneurial education should be
presented early in elementary and
middle school.
Hill and other speakers suggested
that an entrepreneurial ecosystem
should include activities that expose
youth to new possibilities and allow
them to interact with the business
community. These include:
●
●
Pitch-it! competitions (forums sup-
ported by the region’s schools that
connect youth to potential collabo-
rators, mentors, and investors).
●
●
Ignite Talks (forums for delivering
short, informative presentations).
●
●
Youth Entrepreneurial Award
(sponsored by the Walla Walla Valley
Chamber of Commerce).
●
●
Angel Investment conferences
(forums that connect entrepreneurs
to potential investors).
Opportunities and challenges
Local employers said that our rural
location has positive and negative im-
pacts on their businesses. The founder
of a small manufacturing firm said that
while a port location would be more
profitable for his business, he chooses
to keep production local. Having at-
tended Walla Walla University (WWU),
he and his co-founders have lived
in the area for some time and have
developed social ties here. He has not
had a difficult time finding employees
(who receive on-the-job training), and
noted that the location might be an
advantage: customers are interested
in the firm just because it is in a rural
area.
Nelson Irrigation located in Walla
Walla in 1973 because the region had
a large agricultural sector that de-
pended on pivot sprinklers but had no
local supplier. The firm currently sells a
diverse product line around the world
and chooses to keep production local.
According to the human resources
manager, employees at Nelson Irriga-
tion value the rural setting, and com-
bined with a strong compensation
package, the family-friendly environ-
ment promotes worker retention and
career longevity.
Regional health care providers face
a number of hiring challenges related
to our location. First, there is consid-
erable competition for health care
workers because of the large number
of regional employers—Walla Walla
Clinic, the DOC, Providence St. Mary’s,
Walla Walla General and Kadlec (in
Tri-Cities), to name the largest. These
institutions compete for qualified
candidates. Investing in on-the-job
training can be costly to firms if newly
skilled-up workers move to other
institutions. Second, it is especially
difficult to recruit physicians to a rural
region. Medical students can be up
to $500,000 in debt by the time they
complete their training. To pay that off,
many opt for high-paying jobs in large
urban areas. Third, there is a smaller
applicant pool for the type of doctor
most needed in rural locations. Rural
areas depend more upon primary care
physicians than specialists, yet more
physicians are training as specialists
because those positions pay higher
wages. Finally, the health care industry
has been consolidating, and many
workers seek employment in large
health care systems that seem safe
and stable.
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
In this report, we use
21st century
skills
to refer to the general set of skills
and behaviors that speakers identified
as important for success in work and
school. Speakers from both the edu-
cational and economic development
sectors reported that critical think-
ing, problem solving, and effective
written and oral communication are
fundamental. Other important skills,
sometimes referred to as “soft skills”
or “habits of mind,” include a range
of behaviors and attitudes, such as
adaptability, dependability, punctual-
ity, ability to work in teams and across
cultural divides, curiosity, imagination,
and professionalism. Several speakers
reported that soft skills and behav-
iors are just as important as critical
thinking, problem solving, and com-
munication skills for academic and
professional success.
For local employers, the top priority
for new hires is a good work ethic, a
positive attitude, and dependability.
Because many employers provide
on-the-job training, they want new
hires who are adaptable and express
a desire to learn. Other important
skills include critical thinking, problem
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