Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Boston Fed reports on "The Supply of Recent College Graduates"

I haven't had time yet to look closely at this report (PDF format), released today by the Federal Reserve Bank's New England Public Policy Center, but it explores an issue I care about a lot: how can we hold onto a larger share of the smart young people who get educated here.

One take-away: connecting college students with internships and job opportunities here, before graduation day, would be a great strategy.

In the introduction, NEPPC director Robert Tannenwald writes:

    ...Better matching of recent graduates from New England institutions with jobs and employers around the region could be a promising strategy. Stronger partnerships between universities and industry groups, as well as statewide or regional job clearinghouses may provide an opportunity to reach this new generation of workers.

    In a global economy where workers and jobs are mobile, New England will face increasing com-
    petition for the college graduates its institutions produce.


And from Alicia Sasser's report:

    Contrary to the usual litany of reasons offered to explain why individuals leave New England — cold winters, high costs of living — recent college graduates do so primarily for job-related reasons, or to attend or leave college, with very few citing housing as the motivation for their move.

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