Bend Chamber’s Young Professionals support employee development, prepare for sixth annual YP Summit

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Retaining top talent is challenging in Bend and Central Oregon as a whole right now. The lack of affordable and available housing, childcare capacity issues and increases in competitive wages are all acting against employers. It’s critical to retain top talent in Central Oregon, and many employers are wondering how.

The answer is simple: Invest in them. Year over year, studies show that investing in the growth of employees, especially those at the early to mid-career level, leads to greater engagement, productivity, and the ability to retain talent. In fact:

• 87% of Millennials say that professional development is important in a job (Forbes and Gallup).
• 76% of Gen Zers are interested in more opportunities to learn/practice new skills or expertise (LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index).

• 94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development (LinkedIn Learning Workplace Learning Report).

Where do local businesses go to find relevant, locally focused, professional and personal growth opportunities for their employees?

Bend YP, a program of the Bend Chamber, along with sponsors US Bank, Meta, and NewsChannel 21, announces the sixth annual YP Summit on Friday, June 23. The YP Summit is a powerful investment in development, engagement, and retention, especially among those in early to mid-career positions.

“US Bank is excited once again to be the title sponsor for the Young Professionals Summit! The Summit provides a great opportunity for employers in our community to send their Young Professionals to a day of development and learning, as well as find ways to get involved in our community. I am personally excited to be sending our team members as it creates a great employee engagement,” said Sherry Jones, US Bank District Manager.

The theme for the 2023 YP Summit is “Crafting Your Career and Community,” offering high-caliber speakers and engaging breakout sessions. The event will be held in person on the Central Oregon Community College campus. Registrations are now being accepted at bendyp.org/2023-yp-summit.

“I attended the Summit in my first year of being a Bend YP member and it instantly became my favorite event of the year. I’ve continued to make great connections and grow my network each time that I go. There is a plethora of content that is supplied and you’ll walk away feeling informed and accomplished,” shared Tanner Hupka, Client Solutions Manager at Umpqua Bank.

This year’s keynote speaker is Lisa Walden. Lisa is a speaker, strategist, and consultant dedicated to helping businesses create authentic, empowering workplaces that don’t inspire the dreaded “Sunday scaries.” Her presentations deliver action-oriented insights that help people connect, collaborate, and communicate better. Emceeing the event again for 2023 is Central Oregon’s very own Carly Keenan, News Anchor with NewsChannel 21.

Whether learning more about the City of Bend, practicing difficult conversations, focusing on the importance of change leadership, or learning ways to build community, all attendees of the YP Summit will walk away with valuable insights to take back to the workplace.

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The mission of Bend Young Professionals is to equip and empower Bend’s young professionals to connect personally, grow professionally, and elevate our community.

The mission of the Bend Chamber is to create an environment where businesses, their employees and our community excel together through collaboration, advocacy, resources and leadership to meet Bend’s business challenges.