It’s a common challenge in Beaufort County and rural areas throughout North Carolina — an aging workforce and an out-migration of young, working-age people. The question of how to reverse that trend locally was the topic of conversation during an economic development forum at Beaufort County Community College on Tuesday.

Organized through collaboration between Beaufort County, the City of Washington and East Carolina University, the forum brought together county and municipal officials, nonprofit leaders and other interested parties from throughout the county.

“The problem we have is that our workforce is aging and not growing,” Beaufort County Economic Development Director Martin Johnson explained. “It’s been pretty static for the last 30 years in terms of workforce. What that has led to is that our companies that are here have not been able to acquire the talent and even just the numbers for the workforce they need.”

In addition to impeding possible expansions and the ability of local companies to capitalize on a relatively strong economy, Johnson says the lull in the workforce may have a long-term impact if not reversed.

“Over the next 10 years, because we haven’t grown the workforce, a lot of companies are facing the fact that a large percentage of their workforce are going to be retiring,” Johnson said. “So it’s attrition, expansion and you’ve got a retirement piece. We have not been encouraging the young people here to stay in the county. Then also, we haven’t been able to attract people from the outside into the county.”

For city and county officials, the situation calls for making the county, and what it has to offer, accessible to younger generations.

“I think it’s a challenge, but there’s a lot to offer in our community,” Washington City Manager Jonathan Russell said. “That’s something we need to illustrate completely as a recruiting tool. … It’s a concern when you have an aging workforce, and it’s something where we’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive.”

As a means of illustrating what Washington has to offer, Russell said the city is taking steps to step up its digital presence, from making greater use of social media to updating the city website. Expanding reach online in turn offers a platform for Washington to reach younger people.

For County Manager Brian Alligood, it’s a matter of making sure the area’s young people are aware of the opportunities available here, and keeping that conversation at the forefront with the public.

“For us, it’s about educating our younger folks and letting them know that they don’t have to leave to find the types of jobs they’re looking for,” Alligood said. “There’s things that you can do here where you don’t have to go to Raleigh or Charlotte. If you want to stay here and have a really good job, you can do it. … It’s about telling our story.”

While the forum prompted discussion and may be a starting point for future planning, there were few participants in the room representing the 18- to 35-year-old demographic. According to ECU presenter Keith Wheeler, those voices have to be a part of the conversation.

“So I would ask, what do folks do locally to understand what the millennials, or whatever that grouping, want, need and desire to be a part of that place that they’re going to stay? Or what’s driving them away?” Wheeler asked.