Talent attraction has become a top priority for economic development organisations – particularly as artificial intelligence changes the parameters of what skills will be most desirable for future industries. 

However, there’s one hugely valuable talent pipeline that many places are underutilising: their academic partners. Secondary and further education institutions are your best source of young talent who already have strong ties to your place. However, more work is needed to make sure that these young people have the skills they’ll need for the future, and that they have compelling reasons to stay within your community. 

To understand how partners can be working more effectively with their academic institutions to develop stronger talent attraction and retention strategies, we reached out to seven of our expert partners to get their insight.

Develop a coordinated, place-wide approach to workforce development.

In our recent work with Mt. Hood Community College, we helped convene a regional steering committee to support the growth of Oregon’s semiconductor industry. The effort brought together K–12 schools, city leaders, industry partners, and community organisations.

Working alongside the College, they’re shaping a coordinated approach to workforce development and economic resilience. This collaboration reflects a growing recognition that local institutions and municipal leaders are essential partners in creating the conditions where innovation and opportunity can thrive.

Place-based partnerships aren’t just a strategy. They are a foundation for long-term prosperity. How are you aligning your regional assets to strengthen workforce systems and drive shared success?

Sarah Lechner, Principle and Community Prosperity Practice Lead, Coraggio Group – part of Miles Partnership

Provide and promote internship opportunities to help students get their foot in the door.

As the travel industry evolves, destinations play a powerful role in cultivating the talent they need to thrive. By partnering with local colleges and universities, destinations can inspire students to envision meaningful careers close to home, strengthening the local workforce and community ties. Internships, mentorships and real-world projects give students the confidence and experience to grow where they are. At MMGY Global, our Professional Advancement and Career Exploration (PACE) program demonstrates how local partnerships can open doors and build lasting connections. When students feel they belong, they stay. Talent attraction and retention begin with a sense of belonging, and destinations can lead the way.

Lorraine Rios, VP, Global HR Director of Talent Management, MMGY Global

Connect students into everyday life.

The ideal scenario is to collaborate on programs where students do more than study; they feel like they belong. This means creating connections for students with local mentors, involving them in real community projects, and giving them spaces to experience authentic local culture – all things that place brand organisations are equipped to provide. It starts with research on how existing or recent students view the region. However, instead of defaulting to how you can improve the bad attributes, we recommend spending more time on accentuating the positive ones that are revealed. That is where students are likely to genuinely connect to a place's character and people, becoming invested community members that graduate and stay.

Katharina Redelberger, Senior Manager Accounts, C Studios

Tap into your student body for feedback.

Developing talent attraction and retention strategies requires leveraging the unique expertise of academic institutions. In the context of place strategy, it's particularly valuable if academic institutions are integrated into the consultation loop from the outset. Specifically, universities and colleges can provide useful research by conducting surveys and studies on local labour markets and identifying talent gaps. Furthermore, they can align their curricula with local industry needs, ensuring a steady supply of skilled graduates through specialised courses and internships. Places can also tap into the innovation and entrepreneurship hubs that universities often represent, creating an environment that attracts and retains talent.

Pantazis Pastras, Senior Research Analyst, TOPOSOPHY

Engage your alumni as place ambassadors

Anchor institutions are vital to any place led approach and educational establishments are one of the most important. Universities, colleges and training providers are always front and centre as they are drivers of the economy, creators of vibrancy, the link to young people and reasons many people come to or stay in a place. Wherever there is a place leadership group they need to be present, their alumni are often the most potent salesforce for a place and communicating with them is vital, they are central to regeneration and they have a critical role in the enlivenment of place. Any place strategy which hasn’t got them at its heart will struggle to succeed.

John Till, Founding Director, thinkingplace

Support your universities in showcasing the longer-term quality of life opportunities.

Universities are intrinsically linked to the identity of their location. Current students act as ambassadors, promoting the local area's benefits beyond academia, such as career prospects, encouraging prospective students to invest in the place. However, post-graduation aspirations differ from the university experience. Therefore, a location must clearly present its long-term opportunities. Cities like Manchester are more successful at retaining graduates than places such as Oxford and Durham due to a more comprehensive and visible lifestyle offering. Smaller city universities, such as those in Lancaster and Lincoln, have a significant impact on their local areas. A key question is whether cities of this size can retain talent and support lifelong needs. Universities need to actively participate in shaping the visibility and viability of lifelong opportunities, and engage with civic and cultural life.

Amy Lewis, Culture & Place Consultant, CTConsults

Lean into demographic data to understand your student population.

Students and faculty don’t just come to study or teach—they come to live, connect, and grow. To really attract and retain talent, places need to work closely with academic institutions to understand not just demographics, but the people behind them. That means combining city data on housing, transport, culture, cost of living with insights into different student and faculty profiles: their motivations, behaviours, and what they’re looking for in a place. Then act on it by designing cities that feel liveable, affordable, and worth investing in—and actively promote these strengths through tailored marketing strategies. Because when a place meets both practical and personal needs, it’s no longer just somewhere you pass through—it’s somewhere you stay.

                                                                                       Mirko Lalli, CEO, The Data Appeal Company