Thursday, June 26, 2008

Brain Drain Report

Ohio is still celebrating its latest initiative to stop brain drain. I doubt that this is the first time the state tried to keep college graduates from leaving and I'm certain that this won't be the last. Ohio should figure why it can't attract talent from other states or countries. Unfortunately, Ohio is going backwards instead of forwards.

The Economist puts the spotlight on why human capital is increasingly geographically mobile. That college graduates out-migrate isn't unique to Ohio. Does anyone in Columbus read the Economist? A policy that works with the emerging migration trend would be most welcome. Instead, we get English-only legislation.

Not to pick on only Ohio, pundits continue to lampoon the lack of a coherent economic immigration policy in the United States. The European Union may emerge as the next great talent magnet, if their colossal bureaucracy can get out of the way. That's a big "if." However, the debate about US immigration is at least an equal impediment. But the United States currently stands at a considerable advantage in the war for talent and demographic time bomb may go off just in time to out-maneuver the EU.

2 comments:

Ross Popoff-Walker said...

Do you know the interactive agency resource interactive?... www.resource.com

They're located in Columbus (not Cleveland) -- I interviewed there for a job a few weeks back, visiting Columbus for the first time. And I was struck by how strong and talented that company is -- but also how misplaced that seems for a very mid-west city.

As a young person who used to live in the Burgh, there's lots of reasons to flock to bigger cities like San Fran. And very few resource interactive.

Jim Russell said...

I didn't know of Resource Interactive. I am familiar with the strong talent stream from Pittsburgh to Columbus. I think such a relatively local migration should be considered a win, a spillover of human capital (something I'd like to help Youngstown cultivate).

As for Pittsburgh, the out-migration of young talent isn't even an issue, at least right now. But the day when Pittsburgh is combing the world for specific skills isn't too far off. Now would be a good time to establish those talent streams. There is evidence that Steeltown Entertainment Project is at least capable of building that bridge.

My suggestion is to raid other regions for human capital instead of wasting resources on fencing in the geographically mobile.