2008 Woodie Awards
Students conduct groundbreaking study on 'brain drain'
College grads look for jobs outside Wisconsin
Jeremy Pink
Issue date: 10/17/07 Section: News
- < prev Page 2 of 2
The foundation of the brain drain is a problem Niles believes needs to be shouldered by Wisconsin businesses first and foremost.
"I think it's about what businesses need to do," Niles said. "I think they need to look at the ways they're trying to reach young people."
According to the results of the study, that's something businesses may currently be failing at.
"We questioned students if job fairs were as effective as they once were," Niles said.
The results suggest no. According to the results of the study, 61 percent of students got information about job opportunities from friends; 56 percent of those surveyed got it from the Internet, and only 23 percent said job fairs were a good source of information.
"Younger people are finding out about jobs through different means," Niles said. "Businesses need to use those means. Businesses need to use online social media to reach young people to them about career opportunities."
If businesses want well-educated college students to know that they want them to join their workforces, students here are not hearing it initially, Niles said.
Niles said the study showed that when they are first asked about it, students have a negative outlook on career opportunities, but as they are supplied with information the outlook becomes better.
He said the students who conducted the survey were perfect proof of that.
"Initially, we asked all the students who were conducting the survey what they thought about job opportunities in Wisconsin," he said. "As they went through it, the more information we offered them, the perceptions changed from negative to positive."
"Before the survey, I didn't believe there were many career opportunities for me in Wisconsin when I graduate," Josh Sildorff, one of Lowell's students, said in a release. "I soon found that there are many job opportunities that pertain to advertising and marketing right here in Wisconsin."
Niles said all of the results from this study don't mean there are not any job opportunities out there; students simply are not aware of them.
"There is a lack of perception of the opportunities," Niles said. "And somehow the information is not getting to [students]."
"I think it's about what businesses need to do," Niles said. "I think they need to look at the ways they're trying to reach young people."
According to the results of the study, that's something businesses may currently be failing at.
"We questioned students if job fairs were as effective as they once were," Niles said.
The results suggest no. According to the results of the study, 61 percent of students got information about job opportunities from friends; 56 percent of those surveyed got it from the Internet, and only 23 percent said job fairs were a good source of information.
"Younger people are finding out about jobs through different means," Niles said. "Businesses need to use those means. Businesses need to use online social media to reach young people to them about career opportunities."
If businesses want well-educated college students to know that they want them to join their workforces, students here are not hearing it initially, Niles said.
Niles said the study showed that when they are first asked about it, students have a negative outlook on career opportunities, but as they are supplied with information the outlook becomes better.
He said the students who conducted the survey were perfect proof of that.
"Initially, we asked all the students who were conducting the survey what they thought about job opportunities in Wisconsin," he said. "As they went through it, the more information we offered them, the perceptions changed from negative to positive."
"Before the survey, I didn't believe there were many career opportunities for me in Wisconsin when I graduate," Josh Sildorff, one of Lowell's students, said in a release. "I soon found that there are many job opportunities that pertain to advertising and marketing right here in Wisconsin."
Niles said all of the results from this study don't mean there are not any job opportunities out there; students simply are not aware of them.
"There is a lack of perception of the opportunities," Niles said. "And somehow the information is not getting to [students]."
Be the first to comment on this story