Desert dreamin'

The big cities of the Northeast may be fertile ground for employers in the Greater Reno-Tahoe area who need to recruit skilled workers.

A survey conducted for the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada finds that more traditional recruiting grounds San Francisco, San Jose and Los Angeles also remain attractive.

But the Midwest? Forget about it.

The study combined two big chunks of information:

* What areas of the country are home to large numbers of workers in the six industries the region's economic plans have targeted for growth: software development, business and financial services, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, advanced logistics and life sciences.

* Where are there pools of workers with career and lifestyle aspirations that match up with those offered by the Reno-Tahoe area?

The points where those two circles intersect create marketing opportunities as the region seeks to strengthen its workforce, says Lorna Shepard, whose Truckee-based Red Dog Consulting studied the issue for EDAWN.

Among the East Coast metro areas that appear to carry potential for recruitment, Shepard said last week, are Washington, D.C., Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia.

But professionals in the Midwest may prove to be a tough sale as unfavorable impressions of the Reno-Tahoe region are more common in the nation's heartland than they are elsewhere.

The Web-based survey for EDAWN gathered information from 1,404 skilled workers aged 21 to 45 nationwide.

A key finding, Shepard said, is that about a third of skilled professionals are considering an out-of-state move within the next three years.

"They're motivated," said Shepard. "They're ready to go."

As they look for new places to land, they first look at the cost of living particularly the cost of housing and salary levels in their potential new hometown.

If a region passes muster on that score, the professionals surveyed by EDAWN said they then look at quality of life for young families, the quality of schools and the variety of jobs that are available in their industries.

The final factors involved in the decision include climate, commute times and their image of the region.

When it comes to image, about three-quarters of the survey respondents who had been to Greater Reno-Tahoe have a favorable impression of the region.

Respondents placed Reno in the middle of the pack when they were asked to compare it with other cities such as Phoenix and Boise.

But even among those who have been here, few know whether the region has jobs for skilled professionals.

And asked for their top-of-mind impressions of the region, 21 percent said they think of gaming, 11 percent think of skiing and snowboarding, and 10 percent think of a hot, dry desert climate.

A key finding, Shepard said, is that married men with children tend to have a better impression of the region than others who responded to the survey.

That's important because the region's efforts to attract skilled workforce are based on the thought that the region's attractions the chance for work-life balance, the opportunities for outdoor recreation are likely to resonate with young families.

Extrapolating the numbers from the survey, Shepard said the potential audience for the region's effort to recruit skilled workforce might number as many as 4 million people nationwide.

But reaching them, EDAWN officials have said in recent weeks, will be complicated by a decision by the Nevada Legislature to cut the economic development agency's funding by $1.75 million during the next two years.

That means the agency will look to develop low-cost recruitment strategies and will pay close attention to partnerships with private-sector employers who are recruiting nationwide, said EDAWN spokeswoman Julie Ardito.