The full Common Council today (Tuesday, November 26) approved a resolution that creates a Millennial Task Force to investigate the issue of “Brain Drain” in Milwaukee.
The 16-member task force will be charged with assessing the major reasons Millennials choose to leave or stay in Milwaukee after college, analyze programs and policies designed to attract and retain talented, young individuals and make recommendations to the Common Council regarding potential legislative changes and other measures needed to address the Brain Drain problem.
A 2019 report by the Office of Workforce Development indicated that Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin in general are struggling to attract and retain young, educated workers. The number of 25- to 34-year olds living in Milwaukee decreased by 1.8% between 2010 and 2015 while that age group increased by 3.8% nationwide. Additionally, between 2010 and 2014, approximately 9% of 25- to 29-year olds moved out of Wisconsin, exceeding the respective national out-migration rate of 7%.
Alderman Cavalier Johnson, the primary sponsor of the legislation (Common Council file #191180), believes the Millennial Task Force can help combat the Brain Drain problem. “Millennials help add a sense of energy and dynamism to the city, and making sure those voices have a seat at the table is important. The data shows that in both the city and state we’re lagging behind in growth amongst this group, and the goal should always be to attract and retain diverse, young and talented individuals to Milwaukee,” said Alderman Johnson.
The Millennial Task Force will have its first meeting in January, and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Common Council by June 30, 2020.
File #191180 was co-sponsored by Alderman Russell W. Stamper, II, Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs, Alderman Khalif J. Rainey and Alderman Tony Zielinski.
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