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Young professionals think Chattanooga is a good place to live and work, and they tell their friends about the city despite complaints about pay and career advancement.
Those are the chief findings of a study released Friday by the Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga. The survey, which polled 300 working people in Chattanooga from February to March of this year, will help the committee and a spin-off task force form ways to attract and retain young professionals in the community, officials said.
Staff Photo by Kelly Wegel
Rebecca Pobieglo, left, a financial advisor with Smith Barney and the secretary of the Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga, and Shannon Edmondson, an assistant with the public education foundation, listen to the press conference held this morning to announce the young professional survey results and task force plans in the United Way building downtown.
Forty-nine percent of respondents had a somewhat positive view and 40 percent had a very positive perception of the quality of life in Chattanooga, according to the study. The remaining 11 percent had either a neutral or somewhat negative view of the community, the study said.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents were between 20 and 29 years old, the study said. Thirty-five percent were 30 to 39 years old, 6 percent were between 40 and 49 years old and the remaining 2 percent were over 50, the study said.
Eighty-six percent of respondents had a four-year college degree or higher, according to the study, while 8 percent had a two-year degree and 6 percent had only a high school diploma.
Despite their overall positive opinion about the city, respondents listed earnings as their chief complaint, citing perceptions of a lack of variety of places to work, a chilly climate for entrepreneurs and few advancement opportunities.
Short commutes, community vitality and a vibrant after-hours social scene were the top positive factors.
The study was funded by Young Professionals Association of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce and the City of Chattanooga and conducted by Next Generation Consulting.
For complete coverage, read tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.
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Comments
YOUNG VIEWERS IN CHATTANOOGA DON’T LET THEM TAKE AWAY OUR JOBS!
It’s apparent from an article published today, that young professionals view Chattanooga as a desirable place to live and work. Let’s keep it that way. Chattanooga is a wonderful city, but I can’t imagine it will continue to thrive if the executives, such as those at Channel 3, are allowed to operate under their current practices.
What type of person knowingly takes a job away from an up and coming young professional? What type of company allows it to happen? Neal Pascal had a career and a long-time job as a meteorologist. He resigned. It appears that Neal decided he'd like to have that career back. But what about Brian Travers, the young professional who already occupied that job? I enjoy watching Brian on the weekend and I think it is sad and shameless for any individual or company to take advantage of Brian's status as the new kid on the block. How can you trust anyone that's willing to run over the little guy? In my opinion, they are providing coverage that CAN NOT be counted on. It is so challenging to establish a career out of college. It isn't easy to carve out your place in the job force. I know the young viewers of Chattanooga can recognize an injustice. I'm sure many of them will empathize with Brian and hopefully spend any spare time they might have for watching TV on a station that appreciates the struggles of their young viewers. Channel 9 and 12 both have young staff that seem to be promoted over time. If I were a new journalist developing my career, I definitely would NOT seek employment at Channel 3. I would focus my energy on a company that appreciates and values the contribution of new talent. Establishing a career in a small city is a tough. It's even harder when you have to worry that some grumpy old man hiding in a news room is going to replace you with an old guy that already had a chance to build a career. It's time for the new work force take a stand. We want to stay in Chattanooga and build a better city for our children and grandchildren. We can't do that without the support of top executives and sound leaders in the community. Stand up young people! And for goodness sake, help us out leaders! Let's make a positive difference! It's time for you to demonstrate that you are making decisions to take care of our current AND future generations. Let's make sure that decisions made for our "Sustainable City" are based on providing for our futures. We do not need decision makers that focus on putting money in their own pockets. Enough is enough! Hang in there Brian. All of my friends agree that you were not treated fairly. As a group of young professionals, we support you and are confident that your career will continue to grow!
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