As Yorkton grows, so too does the number of young professionals and entrepreneurs in the city.
As such, this is the ideal time to open a Saskatchewan Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (SYPE) chapter in Yorkton.
Corey Werner, President of the Yorkton branch, says that the motivation behind bringing a SYPE chapter to the area was seeing the large number of young people returning to the city.
"Being in business here for the past ten years, I have seen a lot of people come back to Yorkton, which is a really good thing. When we were done high school, people would say 'come to Alberta!' Well, I didn't do that, because I did see the opportunity here," Werner says.
With the increase of the number of young professionals moving to the city, Werner says it highlights that there was nowhere for people to get together and share experiences and network in the area. He notes that SYPE's mandate is to hold social and educational sessions, and he says their goal is to bring people together and attract relevant speakers and sessions to the city.
While SYPE is focused on young people, and only those between 18 and 35 can sit on the executive, Werner says that there advantages for older business owners who become members. For instance, businesses can be involved in the presentations which SYPE will bring to the city, either through sponsorship or becoming part of the presentation. Werner also notes that the networking opportunities are worthwhile for business owners as well as members.
"It does give opportunities for business owners to look at who is out there and who is a go-getter," Werner says.
The goal of SYPE in the province is to retain young professionals. Werner says, and with an increase in the number of young professionals in the province, it is increasingly important to give those people a chance to interact.
"If you move to a city, and you are not able to build relationships in that city, you are not going to be able to enjoy where you're at. By bringing people together and having that social aspect, I think that will retain more people here, because you have a sense of community and a sense of belonging to something."
With the group still in its early stages, Werner says that there are still executive positions open for people who might want to become members. He notes that the organization is a non-profit, and all membership fees will go to bringing in presentations and sponsoring both social and educational sessions.
For more information on SYPE, Werner encourages people to visit the website at www.sype.ca or contact the chapter by email at [email protected].
