MONROE - What do you like about Green County? What are the important selling points - or weaknesses - we have in this area?
Future Forward! Green County, an organization of volunteers interested in attracting, recruiting and engaging the younger generation, is trying to find out what people think are the important aspects of a community. They also want to measure the strengths of Green County and find out where the weaknesses lie. To do this, they are asking current and former residents - and others familiar with Green County - to fill out a series of seven surveys. Each survey takes about five minutes to finish online.
Four surveys are available. Social Capital - the "collective value of all 'social networks' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other" - is the survey just released. Previous surveys on the vitality of the area, the earning and career potential and the learning resources of Green County still are available. Each survey will remain open for the rest of 2009.
"We are already finding out some very interesting information," survey coordinator Sheila Berrey said. Survey results will be tabulated, released and presented at a January 2010 Future Forward joint meeting.
The surveys only are available on the Internet, by going to Green County Spotlight's Web site - www.greencountyspotlight.com - or the Future Forward! Green County Web site - www.futureforwardgc.com. At the end of each survey, participants can register for prizes, including an iPod Touch.
The surveys cover seven aspects of community that have been identified by people like Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting and Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class. The Future Forward volunteers who created the surveys want to identify Green County's assets and where gaps might exist. The top 10 assets will be used in marketing the county to young people as a place to live and work. The top 10 gaps will become a starting point for improvement projects.
"The more people we can get involved in these surveys, the better picture we have of what people think of when they think of Green County," Future Forward co-chair Nikki Matley said.
"This is a grass-roots effort, a group of citizens that sees the importance of working toward making Green County even more attractive to today's workforce," said Anna Schramke of the Green County Development Corporation. "And I applaud their efforts. In the last year, they have accomplished much as a strictly volunteer organization."
ntinues to age, area employers will need to recruit younger workers to maintain their competitive edge.
"We are never going to become Madison or Milwaukee, but to keep and improve the economy we enjoy here in the county, we need to make sure that we have the workers to keep our economy strong," Schramke said. "Efforts like Future Forward! Green County are a strategic part of accomplishing this."
For more information about Future Forward! Green County, visit the www.futureforwardgc.com Web site or contact Nikki Matley at (608) 329-9294, Kent Anderson at (608) 558-0370 or Sheila Berrey at (608) 328-8629.
Future Forward! Green County, an organization of volunteers interested in attracting, recruiting and engaging the younger generation, is trying to find out what people think are the important aspects of a community. They also want to measure the strengths of Green County and find out where the weaknesses lie. To do this, they are asking current and former residents - and others familiar with Green County - to fill out a series of seven surveys. Each survey takes about five minutes to finish online.
Four surveys are available. Social Capital - the "collective value of all 'social networks' and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other" - is the survey just released. Previous surveys on the vitality of the area, the earning and career potential and the learning resources of Green County still are available. Each survey will remain open for the rest of 2009.
"We are already finding out some very interesting information," survey coordinator Sheila Berrey said. Survey results will be tabulated, released and presented at a January 2010 Future Forward joint meeting.
The surveys only are available on the Internet, by going to Green County Spotlight's Web site - www.greencountyspotlight.com - or the Future Forward! Green County Web site - www.futureforwardgc.com. At the end of each survey, participants can register for prizes, including an iPod Touch.
The surveys cover seven aspects of community that have been identified by people like Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting and Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class. The Future Forward volunteers who created the surveys want to identify Green County's assets and where gaps might exist. The top 10 assets will be used in marketing the county to young people as a place to live and work. The top 10 gaps will become a starting point for improvement projects.
"The more people we can get involved in these surveys, the better picture we have of what people think of when they think of Green County," Future Forward co-chair Nikki Matley said.
"This is a grass-roots effort, a group of citizens that sees the importance of working toward making Green County even more attractive to today's workforce," said Anna Schramke of the Green County Development Corporation. "And I applaud their efforts. In the last year, they have accomplished much as a strictly volunteer organization."
ntinues to age, area employers will need to recruit younger workers to maintain their competitive edge.
"We are never going to become Madison or Milwaukee, but to keep and improve the economy we enjoy here in the county, we need to make sure that we have the workers to keep our economy strong," Schramke said. "Efforts like Future Forward! Green County are a strategic part of accomplishing this."
For more information about Future Forward! Green County, visit the www.futureforwardgc.com Web site or contact Nikki Matley at (608) 329-9294, Kent Anderson at (608) 558-0370 or Sheila Berrey at (608) 328-8629.