The Nebraska Workforce and Education Reporting System (NSWERS) has released a new data brief focused on talent retention in Nebraska, analyzing factors that influence graduates from Nebraska’s public higher education institutions to remain in the state’s workforce.
Since the 1970s, Nebraska has consistently faced the problem of “brain drain,” the loss of highly educated talent from the state. This phenomenon is of particular concern because it can lead to an exodus of skilled workers, negatively impacting local businesses and slowing economic growth. Improving the retention rate of Nebraska college graduates is essential to maximizing the return on the state’s higher education investment.
The retention brief’s findings suggest targeted strategies that can enhance graduate retention, particularly by promoting internship and work opportunities while in college. The study aims to develop new policies to better support education and job growth in Nebraska and make the state a more attractive place to live and work for young professionals.
Key findings:
- The important role of social and economic ties in graduate retention in Nebraska
- In-state students are twice as likely to stay and work in Nebraska compared to out-of-state students.
- Graduates who earn wages in Nebraska while attending college are more likely to stay and work in Nebraska after graduation than those who do not.
- The impact of degree fields on retention rates
- Nearly eight in 10 students who major in manufacturing stay and work in Nebraska after graduation, but only five in 10 students who major in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) stay and work.
- Work experience has a significant impact on graduates’ decisions to stay in state
- Graduates who earn the equivalent of one or two summer internship wages in Nebraska are about 5 to 10 percent more likely to stay and work in the state than graduates who don’t earn an income.
To view a data overview, please visit:
https://insights.nswers.org/briefs/nswers-talent-retention-brief-2024.pdf.