Count Me In: A Local Response to a Statewide Talent Challenge

New research from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) confirms what many communities across Iowa have felt for years. Too many graduates are leaving the state, and the economic consequences are significant.

According to the analysis, Iowa’s long-term out-migration of public university graduates has resulted in an estimated $96 billion in lost earnings. The ripple effects touch workforce availability, tax revenue, and long-term growth.

The challenge is real. But here in the Cedar Valley, we’re not waiting to react.

Through the Count Me In Population Study, Grow Cedar Valley is taking a proactive, data-driven approach to understanding who we are, who we’re losing, and what it will take to keep people here in the Cedar Valley.

Graduate Retention Starts With Belonging

The CSI report shows that only about half of Iowa’s public university graduates remain in the state ten years after graduation, even though roughly three-quarters of students are Iowa residents. From 2001 to 2021, the state lost a net 68,000 graduates compared to expected retention levels.

What we’re seeing in the data matches what we hear in conversations every day. Feeling welcome and building connections play a big role in whether people stay.

That’s why one the Population Study’s Big Bet 3 focuses on Careers Worth Staying For. This work is centered on helping students and early-career professionals see clear paths forward here through stronger career visibility, employer engagement, and opportunities to build connections early. Efforts like newcomer programming, young professional engagement, and closer ties between employers and the community help people form roots sooner, when decisions about where to build a life are still taking shape.

Retention Is an Economic Strategy

The Population Study treats population growth and retention as an economic development issue that touches nearly every part of the region. A steady population supports business growth, talent recruitment, housing demand, and local investment.

This is where Big Bet 2: Innovation that Competes comes into focus. The study calls for strengthening the types of industries, roles, and opportunities that allow people to build careers over time. Supporting business evolution, entrepreneurship, and higher-value work helps create an economy where people can see long-term opportunity and choose to stay.

Keeping Graduates Benefits Everyone

The report also outlines the fiscal impact of graduate loss, estimating that Iowa could be collecting hundreds of millions more each year in state and local tax revenue if retention rates were higher.

At the regional level, the Population Study helps communities understand how population trends affect everything from infrastructure and services to school enrollment and local investment. Retaining graduates strengthens the tax base, supports public services, and helps communities plan with confidence.

This work is about long-term stability, not quick fixes.

Turning Data Into Action

At the center of this work is Big Bet 1: One Vision, One Valley, which focuses on acting as one region with shared priorities and a clear sense of direction. The Population Study calls for stronger regional coordination, shared priorities, and a clearer narrative about who we are and where we’re headed. When communities, employers, educators, and partners move in the same direction, the Cedar Valley is better positioned to compete and follow through on long-term goals.

Through Count Me In, Grow Cedar Valley and regional partners are already moving forward with strategies that support talent retention, early connection, and regional alignment. Tools like Live the Valley, Cedar Valley Young Professionals, employer education, and community events all play a role in translating data into lived experience.

“The CSI report confirms the scale of the challenge Iowa is facing. The Population Study shows how the Cedar Valley is stepping up to meet it.” – Katy Susong, President & CEO | Grow Cedar Valley

The work ahead will take collaboration, consistency, and commitment. But by understanding our population today and planning intentionally for tomorrow, the Cedar Valley is positioning itself to keep talent here, not just educate it and watch it leave.

Want to Bring this Conversation to Your Organization?

If you would like Grow Cedar Valley to present the Population Study findings and the 3 Big Bets to your business or organization, please fill out this form to get started.

PRESENTATION REQUEST FORM

More information on next steps and additional ways to stay engaged will be shared soon. In the meantime, thank you for showing up, leaning in, and contributing to an important conversation about what comes next for our region. We’re grateful for your interest, your time, and your commitment to the Cedar Valley.

A Voice of the Valley: Haley Hamm

“Somewhere between my first day of college and my first coffee run downtown, the Cedar Valley became home.”

Hi, my name is Haley Hamm, and this is why I Live the Valley.

I came to the University of Northern Iowa in 2022 with a plan: earn my degree and see where life took me next. What I didn’t expect was that the Cedar Valley would quietly become home, and that staying would feel less like a decision and more like a calling.

From the very beginning, there was something about this place that felt steady and welcoming. The Cedar Valley has a way of making you feel known. People take the time to connect, encourage, and cheer you on, no matter who you are or where you’re headed. That sense of community is what first drew me in, and it’s the reason I’ve chosen to build my life here.

My story in the Cedar Valley is deeply tied to the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center. I first learned about the JPEC while I was still in high school, and on my very first day at UNI, I began working there as a Marketing Assistant. After graduating, I was offered the opportunity to continue my professional journey as the Marketing and Events Coordinator.

Today, I get to work with student entrepreneurs and create spaces where their ideas, talents, and hard work can shine. Marketing and events are about creating experiences that bring people together, and there is something incredibly special about doing that work in a place that genuinely values connection.

I came to college with a heart for event planning, and through the JPEC, that passion became clearer and more purposeful. I began to see weddings not just as events, but as stories and moments that deserve care, creativity, and intention. During college, I started coordinating weddings as a side business. Throughout the process, I learned how to balance creativity with strategy and passion with professionalism, all within a community that truly supports small businesses and big dreams.

Outside of work, it’s the everyday moments that make the Cedar Valley feel like home. If you know me, you know I almost always have a coffee in hand. Sidecar, Sarah’s Crafted Coffee & Cocktails, and The Savvy Bean are some of my favorites. Each space is different, yet equally welcoming, and I think that’s what makes the Cedar Valley so unique. I could spend hours in a downtown coffee shop window seat working, reading, or doing a Bible study with friends.

I also love staying active, whether that’s a pop-up workout in the downtown green space on a Saturday morning, a class at FIT, or simply going for a walk with friends. Movement feels safe and refreshing here, and there are so many opportunities to stay active.

My weekends often include wandering downtown Main Street, shopping local boutiques, visiting the farmers market in the summer for fresh eggs and banana bread, or grabbing dinner at George’s Local or Urban Pie. I love a patio, no matter how hot or how cold it is.

In the summer, you’ll almost always find me at the Prairie Lakes Trail, from walking the path, to sitting and watching others fish, or lying out a blanket and journaling on the hill. Some of my favorite memories and conversations have happened there. I also enjoy playing pickleball, and I will never say no to an ice cream cone from Four Queens.

Live music is another favorite, and one of the things I love most about the Cedar Valley is how easily accessible it is, from festivals and outdoor events to local restaurants hosting bands. The community continually creates opportunities to gather, celebrate, and connect. 

The Cedar Valley isn’t flashy, and that’s part of its beauty. It’s warm, steady, and full of people who care deeply about where they live and the people around them. It’s a place where I’ve grown into myself, personally, professionally, and creatively.

I didn’t just land here. I chose to stay.
And every day, the Cedar Valley reminds me why.

– Haley Hamm, Marketing and Events Coordinator | John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC)

Cedar Valley Spotlight: Not Your Typical Orchestra

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony is redefining what it means to be a truly local orchestra with world-class sound. As the only fully professional symphony in this part of Iowa, it plays an important part in the region’s arts scene and brings people together in a way that feels familiar and welcoming. 

What makes the Symphony stand out is that it’s rooted in the Cedar Valley, both on and off the stage. While the orchestra attracts talented musicians to the region, many of the performers you see on stage live and work right here. They teach in local schools, hold day jobs around town, and show up for the same community events as the rest of us. When you attend a concert, chances are you’ll recognize a face or two on stage. That sense of connection changes the experience in the best way.

Music That Brings People Together

Film concerts are often the moment people talk about long after they leave the theater. Watching a familiar movie while the orchestra performs the score live creates a shared experience that feels both fun and surprising. Families fill the seats, and you can see it happen in real time. Kids lean over to their parents when they realize the music they love is being played right in front of them. That instant of recognition, especially during a film like Star Wars, is part of what makes these nights stick.

Adults feel it too. Many leave realizing they never paid close attention to the music before hearing it performed live. What once stayed in the background suddenly becomes part of the story. Across classical concerts, film nights, and special collaborations, the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony creates evenings that feel welcoming and familiar. It’s live music that fits the Cedar Valley. Approachable, shared, and often played by people you already know.

If you haven’t attended a concert lately, this might be the season to take a seat and listen a little closer. The music, and the community behind it, is worth your time.

For upcoming concerts and ticket details, visit wcfsymphony.org.

The Future of Work in Cedar Valley: Preparing for the Next Generation of Talent

Have you ever tried walking up on a down escalator? As the treads drop beneath your feet, your best strategy for reaching the top is quick-shifting steps combined with a determination to rise more rapidly than you’re being drawn down. Robert Frederick, Director of Career Services at the University of Northern Iowa, finds that this metaphor from Thomas Friedman’s book Thank You For Being Late perfectly describes the change in the career landscape today. “When you think about a high school or college graduate today, their career is like walking up a down escalator, as opposed to their grandparents, who might have walked up a career staircase,” Frederick says. “They could walk up to a certain step, stand on that tread for 30 years, and retire.”

That is no longer the world of work we live in. Everyone must find a way to adapt to these conditions because what once worked no longer guarantees success. “If you’re not a lifelong learner, if you’re not continuously learning, adapting, and developing new knowledge skills and abilities, you’re going to actually go backward,” says Frederick. The next generation will need to reskill and transform their career often in order to keep advancing.

This metaphor can help local employers in the Cedar Valley as they rethink how to attract and retain the next generation of workers. The pace of change in the world of work is accelerating, and businesses need to foster an environment where continuous learning and adaptability are not just encouraged but essential.

The Workforce of Tomorrow

The workforce world is arriving at a pivotal moment, and the Cedar Valley region needs to be prepared for rapid change. According to Frederick, one of the most critical realities for employers to embrace is that “somewhere between 40% and 50% of the jobs students will apply for when they graduate don’t even exist yet.” As industries evolve, so do the skills that workers need, and businesses must respond in kind.

To stay competitive, Frederick believes that employers should focus less on specific degrees or job titles and more on the traits that will help the next generation thrive. “It’s not just about what you major in anymore,” Frederick explains. “What I really care about is what you’re doing developmentally along the way so that when you pivot from one role to another, you’re ready to say, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’”

What Employers Can Do Now: A Practical Guide

So how can Cedar Valley employers prepare for this generational shift? Frederick offers several practical strategies:

  1. Onboarding Redefined: “Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen onboarding programs actually decline,” Frederick notes. He emphasizes the need for companies to invest in comprehensive onboarding processes that go beyond job training and help new hires understand how their roles fit into the larger organization. “A rotational program, where new employees experience different areas of the company, helps them see how all the parts work together.”
  2. Flexibility is Key: Younger workers prioritize life balance, not just work-life balance. Frederick explains, “They don’t see work and life as being equal. The scale isn’t work-life, it’s just life.” Offering flexible work schedules, such as four-day workweeks or remote options, can help businesses attract and retain talent by supporting employees’ broader life goals.
  3. Learning to Learn: In a world where skill sets need to be refreshed every five years, lifelong learning is non-negotiable. “The most important thing we can teach young people is how to learn and how to think,” Frederick says. Employers can cultivate a learning culture that goes beyond technical training and focuses on developing essential skills like leadership, creativity, collaboration, empathy, and adaptability.
  4. Address Real-World Concerns: Frederick also highlights the importance of helping employees with their immediate life challenges. “When you offer programs that help with student loan repayment, you’re showing that you care about their life balance. That can go a long way in building loyalty,” he says. Tackling real-world concerns, such as student debt or affordable daycare, can help businesses retain employees long-term.
  5. Mentorship and Peer Learning: Intergenerational mentorship is a powerful tool for fostering collaboration and learning within an organization. “It’s not just about older employees teaching younger ones,” Frederick stresses. “Younger employees bring fresh perspectives, particularly with technology, and companies need to embrace that knowledge exchange.”

The Shift from “Earning a Living” to “Learning a Living”

Frederick emphasizes that, for the next generation, the focus is shifting from simply earning a paycheck to continuous learning. “Their whole career is going to be about learning a living, not earning a living,” he says. Employers who tap into this mindset will be better positioned to thrive in the future. By encouraging learning and development, companies can build a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and ready for the rapid transformations that lie ahead.

Looking Ahead

For Cedar Valley employers, the future of work isn’t just about filling job vacancies—it’s about creating workplaces where employees feel valued and engaged. As Frederick points out, “The goal is not to make you like a robot, but to enhance the fact that you’re human. It’s creativity, empathy, and adaptability that will have the greatest value moving forward.”

As businesses in Cedar Valley look to the next 5, 10, or 20 years, it’s crucial to create environments that foster these traits. Employers who offer flexibility, purpose, and continuous learning opportunities will unlock the potential of the next generation, ensuring that Cedar Valley remains a thriving hub for talent and innovation.

The next generation of the workforce is being asked to find a way up on a downward escalator. But with the right combination of adaptability, collaboration, and commitment, the Cedar Valley can help shape these lifelong learners and rise with them in their journey to the top.