How to attract best talents? 18 cities in the Danube Region currently are developing innovative tools to attract and retain locally talented young workforce. The European Union fi nancially supports this project to prevent talented young people to have to go abroad to study or to fi nd work in the capital or in other bigger cities, enabling young talents to stay in their home region, contributing to the local economy.

Small and medium-sized towns such as Nyíregyháza (HU), Apatin (Serbia) or Velenje (SLO) no longer feel like losing promising young people to metropoli- tan cities. Because according to OECD- UNDESA “World migration in Figures”, emigration rates in the Danube region are rising. This has a major impact on demographics and the labour market. There is already a shortage of well- trained workers in companies and institutions, reducing competitiveness and innovative ability. Employers are unable to create high-quality jobs, an attractive working environment or career opportunities.

Dramatic consequences of the “brain drain” in the Danube region
This process has dramatic conse- quences. The “TalentMagnet” project is resolutely addressing the challenge of stopping the emigration of highly qualified young people from small and medium-sized cities in the Danube region. High-quality jobs shall attract and retain talent. But local authorities are also needed to counteract the brain drain and to improve key factors, including aff ordable housing, high-quality public services, good education, attractive cultural life and recreational facilities.

Getting more attractive for young talents
The participating cities will involve science, business, administration and civil society in the implementation of the project in order to improve the local economic and social environment of the cities and drastically become more attractive for young talents. For example, a new smart phone application will directly address young talents; furthermore, several models, guidelines and tools will be developed and tested in all of the project partner cities. The European Foundation for Education will represent Baden-Württemberg in the international consortium as a knowledge supplier, contributing to the creation of the project framework and bringing in the results from past EU projects such as “EDU-LAB”.

TalentMagnet in the following cities: Apatin, Serbia Ptuj, Slovenia Bjala, Bulgaria Harghita County, Romania Leoben, Austria Lieberec, Czech Republic Nyiregyhaza, Hungary Ruse, Bulgaria Szeged, Hungary Užgorod, Ukraine Varaždin, Croatia Velenje, Slovenia Weiz, Austria Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina Žilina, Slovakia.

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