Successful first meeting of the Slovenian RSG
On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the first meeting of the Slovenian regional stakeholder group for the TALENT4S3 project, co-financed by the Interreg Europe program, was held at the Regional Development Agency for Podravje - Maribor.
The meeting began with a presentation of the TALENT4S3 project, which aims to improve policies for attracting and retaining talent and to promote better use of smart specialization strategies in development regions. Participants were introduced to the objectives of the project, the importance of RRA Podravje – Maribor’s involvement, and the reasons why the Podravje region is crucial for implementing project activities, particularly as it faces demographic challenges such as brain drain and a shrinking qualified workforce.
Special attention was given to ten identified best practices in talent attraction, which will serve as a basis for further validation and analysis in collaboration with the regional stakeholder group. The exchange of best practices among project partners to address demographic challenges and align with the smart specialization strategy is essential for reshaping existing development policies, such as the Regional Development Program for Podravje.
During the meeting, a formal regional stakeholder group was established, consisting of key stakeholders at both national and regional levels. Their contribution will be critical in:
- improving regional policies for talent retention and attraction,
- validating and analyzing best practices,
- connecting various interested parties.
The Institute for Strategic Solutions presented research findings that address challenges and opportunities for attracting and retaining talent, with a focus on the specific needs of the Podravje region.
The event concluded with an open discussion, where participants exchanged opinions and proposals for future steps in the implementation of project activities.