Recently, Michigan Futures released a report saying, as the organization’s President Lou Glazer put it, “If Michigan doesn’t get younger and better educated, we will get poorer.”

Jobs requiring low education are disappearing and jobs requiring high education are growing in Lansing, albeit slowly. As one might expect, the jobs requiring better education also pay better. Michigan’s per capita income is falling, and our metropolitan areas pale in comparison to better educated workers in locales such as Madison and Minneapolis.

The report’s findings were right in line with Capital Area Michigan Works! new report “After the Recession: Now Where are the Workers?” Its major findings? Once the economy rebounds, Greater Lansing could be facing a worker shortage based on three key factors: not enough young workers to replace baby boomers, slow population growth and an under-educated population compared to popular knowledge centers.

Again, in comparison with our peers, Lansing is struggling. Our replacement gap, or ability to replace older workers with younger ones, is four times the rate of Madison, and six times the rate of Colorado Springs. And more people are leaving Lansing than are moving in each year. We aren’t doing great, but we could be.

The region has many of the major assets for success–--higher education institutions including Michigan State University, the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and Lansing Community College; a riverfront; a downtown being redeveloped; and pockets of cultural interest and entertainment.

We recognize Greater Lansing has a problem, but there’s no golden ticket to get us out of this. We can’t flip a switch to become younger and smarter, though many of us want to see a change.
And that can get frustrating. What can a business actually do today to make a difference?

• Support Keep Learning – Our Future Depends On It, and make education a priority in your workplace. Whether it’s providing tuition reimbursement, flex-time for classes, or just telling your employees you think their lifelong learning is important, education is key. A 2007 Your Child study shows only 27 percent of Michigan parents think getting a good education is essential to getting ahead in life. New data from Lansing Community College shows that number may be shifting dramatically, but we’re still undereducated in the region. Help capitalize on the shift in attitude and motivate your employees to act. Visit www.learnforourfuture.org for more details.
• Get your young employees engaged in the community. The more of a stake they have in our region, the less likely they are to leave and the better things they’ll say to their peers. Try having a staff meeting at a local coffee shop, or encourage your employees to go out to lunch together. Even if everyone pays their own way, you’re stimulating local businesses and making a connection. Encourage your young employees to band together and volunteer somewhere, and recognize them at the office when they do. Also, connect young employees with other young people in the community through resources such as young professional networking group Grand River Connection, www.grandriverconnection.com, or Accelerate Lansing, a group of young folks focused on accelerating civic engagement, urban revitalization, neighborhood empowerment and cultural enrichment.
• Take on an intern, even if unpaid. A recent study shows that of students who intern, 50 percent of those students will stay in the region, and 50 percent of those students who stay in the region will stay at that specific company. Expose students to our businesses and culture so they’ll choose Greater Lansing after graduation. To connect with interns, contact Paul Jaques, internship developer at Michigan State University, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and to connect those interns to the region, contact Andrea Ragan, Linking Lansing and U director, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

		Douglas E. Stites Douglas E. Stites is the chief executive officer of Capital Area Michigan Works!, a network of resources that partners with businesses to develop recruiting and retention strategies and partners with job seekers to enhance education and career opportunities.