Calling all young professionals: Des Moines' Young Professionals Connection will help you connect to your professional peers in Des Moines and get acquainted with the city's young, vibrant side.
"Our mission is to both attract and retain young professionals in Des Moines," says Adam Gross, 2008 YPC President, a sub-group of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. "We connect young people to the community because the more they are connected, the more likely they are to stay."
Retaining the young work force benefits the Des Moines community by attracting new businesses to the city. When companies are looking to relocate, Des Moines becomes more attractive when there is a larger group of young employees to hire. While the responsibility lies mostly with the Greater Des Moines Partnership's community and economic development programs, it helps to know which new businesses are coming, and when. This gives an edge during the hiring process.
So, if you were ever looking for an excuse to remain in Des Moines, you found it. YPC may benefit you in more ways than you expect through their four main committees: professional development, social, civic and charitable. "What’s nice about YPC is people can find whatever they are looking for," says Gross. "Peer interaction is the number one reason people join, but learning about possible career paths and about ways to give back to the community are also strong pulls."
Although the professional group has one formal meeting per year (to elect the new board), all events are open to all members. A major focus for the group right now is developing a strong downtown core. "One of the things we've always done is try to highlight new businesses, living situations, restaurants and things that make downtown vibrant," says Gross.
Recently, YPC partnered with AIB College of Business to help expand the Clothes Closet. Young professionals looking to join the business force could find a free outfit to wear to an interview at the Clothes Closet, but the selection was out of date and not as trendy as young people might prefer. YPC held a clothing drive to contribute an updated wardrobe to the Clothes Closet. "[The clothing drive] was cool because we were able to benefit our demographic directly," says Gross.
The benefits of the Greater Des Moines Partnership's employment program are also a valuable tool for anyone during an economic crisis. The program offers an online job and resume database for members, as well as a listing of job fairs and assistance in helping those who are relocating to Des Moines for a job.
YPC also offers an abundance of opportunities to get more involved with the civic environment in Des Moines. Since they are partnered with the Greater Des Moines Partnership, there are always chances to learn more about local Des Moines elections, city council news and even to meet national and state political candidates. "What's great about the Des Moines environment is that people really like to get young people involved, and [YPC] helps make business and community leaders more accessible," says Gross. "Connection is instantaneous when you join the partnership."
Check out YPC to start connecting with peers and making your mark on Des Moines. For more information, or to join, visit website
ypcdsm.com.
