No, this is not a discussion about
Pittsburgh’s seemingly genetic inability to promote itself. I’ll make that topic a rant for the
future. As Steve Case, the founder of
AOL said at a recent economic development conference in Pittsburgh, the city “has a humility, a reluctance to
beat its chest and talk about all the great things” happening here. But these are times when such an approach is
more vice than virtue.
What I’d like to
see is Pittsburgh advertise itself as a destination for the job seekers from
across the globe, but specifically today, those that will be coming from
Greece.
Look, the
economic mess in Greece is not going to be resolved with a quick solution. Already there are reports of a “brain drain”
as Greeks with the education, skills and financial wherewithal migrate to
countries from northern Europe to Canada to Australia. I have to believe because of history and
family connections, a certain number will come to the States.
The “Washington
Post” recently reported that Greece’s population has a higher percentage of
college graduates than the US. Those
degree holders would find Pittsburgh a natural landing spot. With a historically large Greek community
already in place and with jobs available in the fields of medicine and engineering,
Pittsburgh is attractive to degreed immigrants from any country on earth
looking for a better life. Isn’t that
obvious?
So let’s
advertise it.
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