Individuals and families are seeking a better quality of life, where the cost of living isn’t so high, and health is a top priority. They aren’t just talking about a better life, they are packing up and moving to places where they feel safe and like they can make a difference. Rural communities in the Midwest are poised to welcome those individuals with open arms and take advantage of the opportunity to increase local population and tax base.
A better quality of life is not only a safe place that’s affordable, it also must include reliable high-speed internet, outdoor recreation opportunities, and a quality work culture and experience. Times of an individual loyally working for one employer for a 40-year career are waning. Increasingly, individuals are taking their skills and shopping around for the best places and best employment packages.
In recent months, Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation (LCEDF) began working on employee recruitment through several initiatives and grant programs. The Employee Recruitment Grant (ERG) program from Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc. (NWKEICI) offered $60,000 to each county in the 26-county region to develop a strategy to recruit workforce.
Goals are to recruit qualified individuals from outside the NWKEICI region to fill critical job openings, retain those individuals to encourage long-term investment in the county, and grow overall county population and school enrollment numbers to boost all sectors of the local economy.
Up to $10,000 relocation and retention grants are now available for those moving from out of the northwest KS area to fill a qualifying position with wages at least $15.50/hour or $33,000/year, and continuing to live and work in Lincoln County for two years.
For 2022-2023, six employee recruitment grants are available first-come, first-served. Website landing pages have been developed to assist local employers and potential employees in qualifying for the incentives, and to funnel interested parties from online marketing campaigns.
More details are available at www.livelincolncounty.com/move.
