Wisconsin wants YPs. But what counts as 'young' and what does 'professional' mean?

The ads on Chicago's L trains are all about bringing young people to Wisconsin. One poses a question: "Bump elbows or bump on the court?" Pictured on the top is a crowded train car; on the bottom a beach volleyball court, with players enjoying the sun.

It's one of several parts of a Wisconsin campaign to attract young professionals to the state. But what about those whose jobs don't fit the classic definition of "professional" — the plumbers, mechanics, janitors, nannies and cooks boarding that train? What about people who are 40 or older and looking for a change? Does Wisconsin want them?

Wisconsin wants young professionals, and there is an infrastructure of YP groups around the state bolstered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., local governments and chambers of commerce. But complications can arise in determining who qualifies as professional, and even who even fits the description young.

It's a topic I often talk about my peers with when we gather at weekly YPWeek meetings. Who are we trying to attract? When it comes to "professionals," isn't anyone who is a master of his or her craft, whether it's tending bar or sheet-metal fabrication or law, a professional of that field?

For young professionals I work with, it's not really about the age or the job worked. It's about a commitment to the community and a willingness to show up when needed.

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Rebecca Deschane, the talent initiatives director for WEDC, said the state's marketing campaign is meant to target people in their late 20s and early 30s. There aren't really any other specifications.

But "professional" has some connotations to it. There are a lot of jobs, good jobs, in trades, manufacturing and other industries that don't fit the stereotype of suit-and-tie-wearing professionals. Those industries need to attract younger workers to fill the shoes of baby boomers as they retire. And groups run the risk of alienating those people by using the term "young professional" in a way that only includes wearing a tie or heels to the office.

The WEDC routinely works with young professional organizations across the state as a part of the YPWeek campaign, which aims to bring young professionals together in communities across the state during the last week of April, creating bonds between people and people and the communities they live in. Deschane said that though the WEDC may define a YP as a person who works in a traditional professional role — what is sometimes called a white-collar job— other organizations use their own definitions based on the needs of their communities and organizations.

The Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, which operates in 10 of Wisconsin's northwestern counties and oversees the Young Professionals of Chequamegon Bay views the term broadly when it comes to their young professional group. Mary Lois Bolka, the sector and strategies coordinator of the NWWIB, said defining what a young professional is tough.

"We even debate ourselves," she said of the young professional group, which she is currently leading as the organization looks for a new leader.

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"It can be the lawyer down the street, the plumber, the stay-at-home mom," she said. "It's really a self-identifying label."

But, she said, that the ability of people to decide for themselves is needed for the area, because of its rural setting and the types of jobs available to workers in the area — by having a wider definition, it opens the door to more people, people needed to sustain the group.

"It needs to be broad enough to cover more realms," Bolka said.

Ignite Portage County is another young professional organization with a wide view. Though most of their members fall between the ages of 21 and 35, said Angel Whitehead, the Portage County Business Council staff liaison, there isn't a cap on age, and there isn't a limit to what profession the young people work in.

"Everyone has different jobs and positions they enjoy," Whitehead said.

Most YP groups aren't in the business of turning away young people who want to be involved, no matter what trade or job they work in. And that reflects the reality of the state's economy in many parts of the state.

Ignite switched from only accepting tie-wearing young professionals about two years ago, Whitehead said. And since then, the membership has seen more growth and more engagement with their events.

"I think the more people you have with more career paths, the more ideas you have," she said. "It's really a wide variety."