Stateside’s conversation with Maria Fabrizio and Brianna Despenza, two recent UM graduates.

How can Michigan attract and retain new talent? That's a question we've been hearing from Governor Snyder's office and executive suites on down for years.

Earlier this month, a General Motors executive told a roomful of automotive engineers that the autonomous vehicle revolution will bypass Detroit unless the region addresses its talent deficit.

One of the top places companies look for new talent is at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. According to the school's statistics, just nine percent of Ross students stay in Michigan after receiving their bachelor’s degrees. That amounts to about 45 students out of 500.

Recent UM graduates Maria Fabrizio and Brianna Despenza were in a capstone class at Ross called "Creativity at Work" that looked at how to address this problem. They joined Stateside to talk about their plans after graduation. They also discuss the factors their peers consider in leaving or staying in Michigan upon graduation, including the state’s transportation system, culture, and politics.

Listen above.

(Subscribe to the Stateside podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or with this RSS link)