Pennsylvania’s Heartland - Supporting Documents

Creating Awareness of the Opportunities in Pennsylvania's Heartland
This report presents a strategy to address the issue of "brain drain" in the region. Based on the results of the studies listed below, it summarizes findings, defines perceptions, and provides both short-term and long-term recommendations for responding to the needs of our young adults.

 

Quantitative Research:  Branding Initiative for the Pennsylvania Heartland
In order to move a branding effort forward, it is essential to consider the perspectives of students attending colleges in the region and adult influencers that now reside in the region and benefit from the its resources.  A web survey was conducted to assist in gathering valuable information about what young adults and their parents value about Central Pennsylvania.  The survey was designed to learn:

• Attitudes and perceptions toward the Pennsylvania Heartland area and its desirability as a place for young people to settle
• Career/job expectations of students in the area, including types of industries and locations
• Reactions to a possible brand concept promoting the region as a place for young people to live and work
• What young people in the region see as the competition for their talents (e.g., urban areas, other states)

Retaining and Attracting Young Adults to the Pennsylvania Heartland
A research study conducted to develop baseline information on trends, perceptions and attitudes of young adults about opportunities and quality of life in the Pennsylvania Heartland.

The goal of this report is to promote a fuller understanding of the nuances of area youth and young adult’s career choices, and of the factors within the rural Central Pennsylvania context that influence and interact with their occupational decision-making process.

New Frontiers for Pennsylvania’s Heartland
A summary report of the findings of a Regional Needs Analysis conducted by the Central Pennsylvania Forum for the Future

The purpose of this 1999 report was to explore with individuals, through interviews, focus groups, and by means of a regional survey, what might be the best ingredients for a regional action agenda.  It is a continuation of a long series of forward looking planning activities across the region and attempts to assess the region by weighing the past in the context of the present, but with a primary focus on the future.