For many students looking to stay in Michigan after graduation, it won’t be easy — the state is losing jobs and money and companies are fleeing. Michigan needs to retain graduates to inundate the state with young, skilled workers, but if the jobs aren’t available, the possibility of that remains unlikely. Last week, the State News editorial board wrote an editorial calling for students to begin the job search early if they want to find a position in Michigan, which would benefit the individual who wants to stay here and the economy as a whole.
But for students seeking technology-based positions, the Michigan job market may not be so dismal. The information technology, or IT, industry grew by 20 percent in the capital area alone from 1998 to 2004. Already, the more than 300 company-strong local IT industry provides 4,500 jobs in the area, and employers as close as Lansing are desperately trying to find MSU graduates with IT skills.
This is great because it proves there are still opportunities in Michigan, especially for young people who grew up with computers and want to work in IT. It’s also good for the business landscape of the state.
Michigan needs to start moving away from the dying world of heavy industry and toward technology-based jobs to revamp the economy.
This is already happening in Lansing — within the next five years more than 1,300 jobs will be added in the Lansing area, and IT jobs earn about 75 percent higher pay than the average for all industries, said Capital Area Michigan Works spokeswoman Kate Tykocki. However, when these Michigan-based employers try to fill available positions, they’re still coming up empty-handed. Tykocki believes too many people think there are no jobs available in Michigan, so they don’t even take the time to look.
This leads to a lack of student interest in local IT careers, which has led to a shortage of local IT workers, which could threaten a sustainable presence or growth of IT companies in the region.
It’s enough to make you consider changing your major.
The growing job market and potential influx of younger people should help transform Lansing into a fresher, more appealing town.
It already has put money and effort into revamping the downtown area and building more housing for singles and small families, and the corresponding new job opportunities should make living in Lansing a reality for recent graduates.
Now it’s time for the rest of Michigan-based companies and industries to model their own growth after the growth of the IT market. Together everyone must work on turning the unemployment rate around and creating more jobs for Michiganians.
Until then, anyone graduating with experience in IT should consider checking out the local job market. Making the connection will benefit both area companies who want MSU graduates and the many MSU graduates who want to remain in the mitten.
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