Leaders Announce Global DSM: International Talent Strategy
Attracting and retaining global talent is an important component in building Greater Des Moines’ workforce. The Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Partnership for a New American Economy today announced details of the Global DSM: International Talent Strategy. The Strategy offers recommendations on how Greater Des Moines can continue to attract and retain global talent and help foreign-born people integrate into the regional community. The recommendations are the result of the Immigration Integration Initiative Task Force, made up of numerous business, civic and community leaders, which met over the course of the second half of 2015 and the first half of 2016.
Global DSM: International Talent Strategy works in tandem with the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Global DSM: Trade and Investment Strategy, released in spring 2016.
“The Global DSM: International Talent Strategy is a critical element in our quest to strengthen our position as a global region,” said Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. “Attracting and retaining talent from around the globe is an important part of our workforce development efforts.”
The Strategy outlines 10 recommendations to ensure that foreign-born persons have the education, preparation and connections necessary for success in order to reach their ultimate potential in Central Iowa.
- Create a Central Iowa Welcoming Center (or Hub).
- Facilitate community and government engagement with the foreign-born.
- Identify and promote the use of existing resources.
- Make more effective use, and increase accessibility of, existing resources to support skills development.
- Foster integration of highly skilled/educated foreign-born in the workforce.
- Support foreign-born entrepreneurs.
- Leverage the educational and workforce assets of immigrant professionals.
- Educate employers.
- Increase availability of language acquisition and civic education programs.
- Continue and strengthen advocacy for immigration reform.
“We believe these recommendations will set the stage for how we can better integrate foreign-born talent into our community, thus providing a welcoming experience for immigrants and bolstering our region’s workforce,” said Lori Chesser, Immigration Department Chair, Davis Brown Law Firm and Chair of the Des Moines Immigration Integration Initiative Task Force. “We will rely on the continued cooperation of our region’s business, civic and community leaders to determine specific steps to carry out these recommendations.”
The Immigration Integration Initiative Task Force’s next steps are to disseminate these findings and recommendations, to raise awareness about immigration’s positive effects on the local and state economy and to develop specific action items aimed at accomplishing the Initiative’s recommendations.
“Immigration has long been a key political issue, and we see the opportunity to move beyond the rhetoric and implement actionable steps that communities and their leaders can take to create a more welcoming environment for immigrants,” said John Stineman with the Partnership for a New American Economy. “We commend the Greater Des Moines community for coming together on this impactful economic growth issue.”
The release of these recommendations coincides with a national day of action, launching the Partnership for a New American Economy’s “Reason for Reform Campaign,” in which business and community leaders across the country are holding over 55 events in 50 states and releasing 51 (one for every state plus Washington, D.C.) new economic research reports showcasing how immigration impacts local communities across America.
About the Greater Des Moines Partnership
The Greater Des Moines Partnership is the economic and community development organization that serves Greater Des Moines (DSM), Iowa. Together with 24 Affiliate Chambers of Commerce, more than 6,400 Regional Business Members and more than 340 Investors, The Partnership drives economic growth with one voice, one mission and as one region. Through innovation, strategic planning and global collaboration, The Partnership grows opportunity, helps create jobs and promotes DSM as the best place to build a business, a career and a future. Learn more at DSMpartnership.com.
About the Partnership for a New American Economy
The Partnership for a New American Economy brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today. The Partnership’s members include mayors of more than 35 million people nationwide and business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more than 4 million people across all sectors of the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media to Manufacturing. Partnership members understand that immigration is essential to maintaining the productive, diverse and flexible workforce that America needs to ensure prosperity over the coming generations. Learn more at RenewOurEconomy.org.