Perth County is tackling the problem of youth outmigration with a new initiative #ProsperInPerthCounty.
Perth County Interim Economic Development Coordinator Hannah Conroy says many small rural communities are facing the same problem.
However, she is concerned Perth County has a higher net loss of youth leaving the area than their neighbours in Huron and Wellington counties.
The hashtag campaign is aimed at people aged 18 to 29.
It was developed during research in the perth4Youth project, which is a joint strategic planning initiative involving Perth municipalities, along with Stratford, and the Town of St. Marys.
Conroy says there is the perception that students leave their hometowns to become successful.
She says they want to spread the word that youth can graduate from post-secondary education to a bright future in Perth County.
The program is designed to retain current youth, bring back young residents and attract new ones.
“There are also a wide variety of jobs available to youth as soon as they graduate high school. We want to stress that Perth County has opportunities for people of all education levels,” says Conroy.
“There’s diversity in the people that we have profiled,” says Laura Elvidge, Perth County’s economic development and communications assistant. “Some participants have never left Perth County because they enjoy it here so much, many have left to pursue post-secondary education but returned to start their careers, and a few moved here from other cities, provinces and even other countries. They’re all in different sectors and have unique backgrounds, but there’s one clear trend: they all love living and working in Perth County.”