The Wall Street Journal gets it, do you?

T]he buzz in business circles is that Northern Nevada needs more young professionals. Not that we necessarily have to steal them from Sac and San Fran (though that doesn't hurt, in my opinion) but we also have to keep the ones born and raised here from leaving and never coming back. Carson City must tempt the 25-40 age group away from the university cities, get them to come back home to set up their businesses and raise families.

Recent economic reports released by the Northern Nevada Development Authority and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada have drawn attention to the needs that many business owners and managers have known for years: An educated and experienced worker is hard to find.

I've talked to many business owners who have been scared enough to actually act on this. A coalition of builders recently petitioned the state board of regents to allow Western Nevada Community College to offer its first bachelor's degree in construction management. The board unanimously voted in favor of the community college. One builder told me that most of his upper management will hit retirement age in about 10 years. Businesses that think beyond a 10-year growth plan will live past the exodus of baby boomers.

This doesn't discount the importance of experience, which, as some have pointed out to me, is found in those who've spent the most time in the work force, the "older professionals."

Just as the older generation also may have its degrees and years of experience, many of our college graduates were smart and took on internships and jobs while studying. Those who do this find good jobs to build up those skill sets. Both education and experience is needed in our work force.

I have college friends who didn't build up experience in their career paths while at school; trust me, they're regretting it now. Without a doubt, there are 28-year-olds still living at home working a partÐtime job, if that. I feel certain that most will come to their senses, if their parents don't throw them out first. You have to get angry enough about your life situation for any change to come, and that's true for any age.

One of the goals of a lifetime of work is to one day bask in the compounded

interest of the 401(k) and Roth IRA. The most desirable situation would be for that person to train their replacement before retirement.

The need to attract and retain YPs is a forward thinking business strategy. The Wall Street Journal is doing it. And you can't get more august than that newspaper, the granddaddy of national and international business reporting.

According to an AP story this week, The Journal will begin a new, smaller design on Jan. 2 that it hopes will draw new readers to the newspaper, including young professionals.

It will feature more color, graphics, shorter stories and fewer "jumps" to the inside of the paper. Its front page will have five columns instead of six and a two-column news summary on the left side of the page, which is just moving it over one column. The three-inch cut to the paper's width will save about $18 million per year, according to information released at a news conference this week.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who lets their Journals stack up because of the lack of time for reading those lengthy, but brilliant, interpretive pieces. This change will be good for everybody. Graphics and shorter stories are a bit easier on failing eye sights.

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.