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Building A Strong Rural Future The Issues Creating Opportunities For Young People In the November 2002 election, voters in North Dakota considered an extraordinary question - whether to approve the so-called Youth Initiative, an initiated measure that would have given $1,000 in annual tax incentives and student loan repayments to every college graduate who stayed in the state. Although the measure was overwhelmingly defeated at the polls, it opened discussion about what it took to attract young workers to rural communities, and the role state and community leaders should play in creating opportunities for their future. Building Our Future will showcase the crucial role communities play in attracting young residents to rural areas and how they can help to create opportunities that will allow young people who want to make North Dakota their lifelong home. A recent poll commissioned by the Fargo Forum newspaper found that only one-third of college seniors plan "definitely" to remain in North Dakota. One-third would like to stay in the state but are not sure there are opportunities for them. Those are the very people the initiated measure was designed for - young people with the interest in remaining in their home state but not the means to establish a career here. The future is most cloudy for young people hoping to become ranchers and farmers. In addition to all the challenges facing anyone beginning a career, young people in agriculture face tremendous barriers: the depressed farm economy, the tremendously high costs of starting an agriculture operation, skyrocketing operating costs, and social barriers have made it nearly impossible for a young person to start a career in agriculture. On the opposite end of the spectrum, budding entrepreneurs probably have the most economic support available to them since business development has long been the focus of traditional economic development. But young people hoping to start their own business still face many challenges. The high failure rate of business start-ups can be frightening and traditional assistance like Small Business Management programs have almost disappeared. Added to the lack of small business skills, many young entrepreneurs lack business experience, particularly experience managing employees. In addition, they lack a peer group that understands the challenges they face. Starting a business in a rural area like North Dakota can find any entrepreneur unprepared and isolated, but this is especially true for someone who is young. 5 January 13, 2003