| dc.description.abstract | Rural brain drain affects many geographic locations across the United States, as recent college graduates often seek entry-level positions and job opportunities in more urban environments. For our project, we looked at this challenge in our home states of Louisiana and Montana, specifically focusing on rural brain drain in STEM-related fields.
Our project design embraced the principles of improvement science and Networked Improvement Communities (NICs) to form a “colleagueship of expertise” (Bryk, et al., 2015; p. 9) and draw on input and experiences from similar-sized communities in the U.S. By considering NIC principles in our approach, this project offered an opportunity to collaborate, share learnings, and surface ideas that could lead to applied solutions tested in another geographic location. While our selected partner organizations, Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) and Montana Jobs Network, do not formally operate in a NIC, both have workforce development in their charter and face the challenge of brain drain in their respective communities.
To understand perceptions, factors, and incentives influencing the career and community choices of students and early career professionals in Louisiana and Montana, we chose to conduct a qualitative study to capture first-hand feedback and experiences that go beyond published data. While various community-specific findings emerged, we did find commonality across three areas, also reinforced in published research:
1. There is a lack of information (or in some cases misinformation) about STEM-related career opportunities in Louisiana and Montana. This is a common finding across similar sized rural and small communities in the U.S.
2. Social and geographic factors “pull” students and early career professionals to remain in Louisiana and Montana. This is a common finding across similar sized rural and small communities in the U.S.
3. While economic factors stand out as the reason students and early career professionals leave (“push”); economic incentives are cited as potential attractions that may influence them to stay. This is also a common finding across similar sized rural and small communities in the U.S.
Drawing on these findings and published research, the recommendations for our partner organizations landed in three categories: connect, promote, and accelerate.
1. Connect: Prioritize outreach to students at an earlier age and invest in programs that bring the community into schools throughout the various educational step-points, as well as support young professionals as they progress in their careers.
2. Promote: Utilize existing and new channels to shift perceptions and build awareness around STEM career paths, job opportunities, resources, and incentives that already exist in both Louisiana and Montana.
3. Accelerate: Invest in new programs that incent students and young professionals to stay and expand the pool of collaborators invested in tackling the challenge of rural brain drain and building the pool of STEM-talent to meet local hiring needs. | |
