College students are always looking for a place for work and to live once they have graduated from their institution. According to a study done by HireAHelper, Wisconsin is the fourth best state for recently graduated adults who are looking for work in their chosen field.
According to the study, Wisconsin not only attracted new college-educated residents, but retained them as well. HireAHelper’s latest report looks at states that college-educated Americans are moving to and from, and Wisconsin experienced a 110% net gain, ranking it the 4th most popular state – just behind Nevada, South Carolina and Washington. More college-educated residents moved in than out, at a ratio unheard of for the rest of the country.
Jaclyn Lambert, the media and relations coordinator at HireaHelper, said that this study shows what states are currently experiencing brain drain verses those who are experiencing brain gain.
“The report seeks to measure ‘brain drain’- the phenomenon of college-educated individuals leaving certain areas in the country, leaving those places at economic risk and widening gaps in the talent market,” Lambert said. “There’s also the flipside to this idea with ‘brain gain’– places like Wisconsin that are benefiting from this increase in talent.”
Brain gain is when those people either bring their skills back home or use them in their new country.
College students come from all over the midwest to attend UW Oshkosh – specifically, to find work after college, and senior Grace Fergus is no exception. Originally from Sugar Grove, Illinois, Fergus is currently working towards a bachelor of science at UWO in psychology and two minors, one in Sociology and the other in women and gender studies. She plans to stay in Wisconsin after her expected graduation date in December, 2024.
Fergus was attracted to Wisconsin living, and plans to stay because it’s a cost effective area to live and work in and somewhere nearby her loved ones.
“I like that Wisconsin is affordable and I’ve built a community here,” she said. “I love my family and I’m very close with them so being able to live a few hours away, but still be able to visit them on weekends is perfect.”
As a registered behavioral technician working for Caravel Autism Health located in Oshkosh, Fergus works with children diagnosed with autism and prepares them for school, and the real world. She plans to stay and become a senior therapist upon graduation.
Caravel Autism Health is also helping her pay for an online graduate degree. When looking for a career later on, Fergus’s dream job lies in Madison, Wisconsin, which is even closer to her hometown.
“My dream job is to be a board certified behavioral analyst therapist, which is what I’m going for with my masters, and then maybe one day run my own clinic.”
Finding a place to live with a job you love is important, and Wisconsin has proven to be successful in helping students achieve that.
