Edythe Copeland

For the Lansing State Journal

As Capital Area Michigan Works! and T3: Teach. Talent. Thrive. continue to work toward attracting and retaining young talent in our region, it’s hard to ignore a large population of emerging professionals right in our backyard — Michigan State University students and graduates.

“The benefit of retaining (MSU) graduates keeps the intellectual activity in the area,” said Dr. Janet Lillie, assistant vice president for community relations at Michigan State University and a member of Capital Area Michigan Works! Workforce Development Board. “It helps us retain a diverse workforce.”

As a region, we need to ask ourselves: Are we retaining the talent that comes out of MSU?

The answer? It’s complicated, and MSU will continue to track this data moving forward.

A survey sent to 7,295 graduating MSU students revealed that 1,259 stayed in the area after graduation. The area is defined as Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos, Mason, St. Johns, Grand Ledge, Dewitt, Eaton Rapids and Charlotte. This is a significant increase from the 436 who lived in the area before they went to Michigan State University.

But these statistics don’t explicitly identify a brain gain or brain drain — the phenomenon of highly intellectual and qualified candidates staying in or leaving the region.

“Moving forward we will continue to track this data to understand the larger impact on our community,” said Lillie. But it’s such a nuanced subject one survey isn’t enough to paint a full picture.

And in the meantime, initiatives continue to work toward retaining graduates. Efforts such as Lansing 5:01, exposing students to up-and-coming neighborhoods such as REO Town and growing housing that appeals to 25- to 33-year-olds are all ways Greater Lansing continues to work toward retaining recent graduates to establish their careers.

“If students are introduced to the opportunities that Lansing offers, they may be more likely to stay in the area after graduation,” Lillie said.

Students need to know that if they’re going to stay here long-term and not simply boomerang back in their 30s and 40s, the stepping-stone jobs they’re looking for are also here.

MSU’s Career Services Network offers students tools such as Handshake, a career management website, to connect students to internships and part-time and full-time job opportunities, including many at local organizations. Additionally, students are able to explore career fairs and career-related workshops and presentations.

With Handshake and similar tools, students are able to find opportunities that will give them an inside look at the work environment in greater Lansing.

But businesses must play an active role as well. And for those of us who’ve been a part of conversations about retaining MSU talent for what can feel like a long time now, one of the most important things is to remain innovative, stay connected and avoid complacency.

Businesses in the region need to capitalize on the opportunity that they’ve been given, and accept that opportunity is ever-present. There is no “done” when it comes to maintaining university and student relationships. We are located within miles (or less) of Michigan State University, where thousands of highly educated young adults are graduating every year. We need to reach out to students now if we want to avoid losing highly qualified, college-educated candidates in the future. And we can’t stop. We must continue every fall, every spring and every summer to continue to work toward a robust, diverse workforce.

Edythe Copeland is the CEO of Capital Area Michigan Works! Visit www.camw.org to connect with the Capital Area Michigan Works! team for assistance with career exploration or staffing needs. Capital Area Michigan Works!, a proud partner of the American Job Center Network, offers services in Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties at our Lansing, St. Johns and Charlotte American Job Centers.