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Written by Doug Rothwell,
President and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation The ongoing boom in Michigan’s life sciences, information technology and advanced manufacturing industry sectors is creating a demand for technically educated workers that is difficult to meet. This is true not only in Michigan, but across the nation. Unfortunately, there is a limited pool of high-tech graduates available each year. If we are unable to attract large numbers of these graduates, Michigan companies will be hindered in their efforts to grow and expand to their fullest potential. For these reasons, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) places a high priority on its high-tech graduate attraction and retention efforts. We have staff dedicated to recruiting at university job fairs and using other marketing tools to encourage graduating students to begin their careers in Michigan. But we have all heard stories of college students graduating from Michigan universities and moving to “the coasts” to find their fortunes. To determine whether these stories were a trend or just anecdotal instances, the MEDC recently joined with The President’s Council, State Universities of Michigan to track Michigan’s high-tech graduates. The question behind the study was very simple: Are Michigan’s high-tech graduates remaining in the state, or migrating elsewhere? The results of the study have just been released, and they are very positive. The study reveals that 79 percent of all students who graduate with a high-tech degree from Michigan universities choose to remain in Michigan as they begin their careers. These facts blast a hole through any anecdotal perceptions that our high-tech graduates are fleeing the state. One revealing statistic from the study is that 55 percent of out-of-state students who come to Michigan and graduate from high-tech programs at our universities choose to remain in the state as they begin their careers. Michigan is one of only 11 states that can claim this high of a retention rate, according to a Southern Technology Council report. Michigan’s need for high-tech workers is likely to be strong for many years to come. The MEDC will continue to work closely with the President Council to track university graduate migration patterns, basing future retention and attraction strategies on any trend shifts that may become apparent. As we do so, please join us in thanking the many graduates who are choosing to call Michigan home and play key roles in our expanding high-tech economy! |