The issue of attracting and retaining talent and ensuring that cities have the right skills mix in their labour markets is such a large and complex challenge, we were determined to make sure that our meeting in Magdeburg yielded some proven and transferrable practical solutions – so we opted to share these as recipes in a Cookbook.
Network partners and guest contributors shared a range of strategies, projects and approaches that they have found to be successful. As with all recipes, there will be some essential ‘ingredients’ – but other elements that are more contextual – reflecting local conditions.
The recipes in Chapter 4 look at some of the underpinning strategic lessons that need to be understood when considering how to attract and retain talent in our cities. These came through as common themes from our discussions together in Magdeburg, and were highlighted through innovative examples from Exeter, Leuven and Parma.
The recipes in Chapter 5 are more operational. They are specific examples of successful initiatives being delivered by cities. Presentations included examples from Eindhoven, Leuven, Linköping, Exeter, and Magdeburg, and from our previous meeting in Lublin.
The final section of the Cookbook summarises the results from a ‘visioning exercise’ that formed part of the final day in Magdeburg. The task was to define the essential characteristics (a recipe!) needed to be a successful city of talent in 2050! All attendees – including students (most importantly) – completed the exercise, and the results are summarised in a graphic.
The Cookbook offers readers an insight into our our conclusions from our meeting in Magdeburg. We hope it’s a thought-provoking guide for those looking for solutions to the significant challenge of attracting and retaining talent in medium-sized European cities.
To view the full publication in interactive format through ISSUU, click here:- An EUniverCities ‘Cookbook’
Alternatively, use this QR code:
