Opportunities for young NH graduates

A study performed by students of the University System of New Hampshire, concluded that N.H. has seen a declining number of students who are choosing to stay in the state after college graduation.

Professor Eileen Bennett's Advertising and Promotions Marketing class worked on a semester long project gathering information from N.H. college graduates and their plans for jobs and housing after school.

Surveys were given to area college students last year. The surveys asked for input regarding jobs, salaries and desired housing for college graduates. The surveys were done in order to banish the myths that N.H. is not a popular place for young grads to start a new life.

"We did this project to try to get N.H. graduates to stay in N.H," Corey Booth, a junior Professional Communications major said.

Students in the class were well aware of the built in prejudices young people have towards the state, "We realize a lot of the kids leave because they believe there are not a lot of opportunities," Colin Van Den Berghe, a Junior Marketing major said. Bennett's class worked on ways to lure graduates to stay in the state.

Historically, only 50 percent of graduates from N.H. schools choose to stay in the state after graduation. Those participating in the project came up with ideas to bolster that percentage to 55 percent. The class traveled to Concord on May 2 to present their results to other University students from UNH, UNH Manchester and Keene State. The other N.H. Universities worked on the same project.

PSU students took a unique approach to the project, "We created a movie showing successful N.H. graduates who decided to stay in the state," Booth said. Many N.H. graduates choose to leave the state because they feel that there are no job opportunities available to them, but N.H. may contain a hidden charm, "The cost of living is lower in N.H., for graduates who stay, they may notice that they actually have more money," Van Den Berghe said.

Many different components went into the project. Advertising, both in print and film as well as research was required for the finished project. At the final presentation in Concord, the students displayed their specific work relating to the project.

Photo presentations, Focus groups and a 41 page report were all organized and presented as part of the final project. The class worked together on a diverse range of topics during the duration of the project, "The class was very interesting. I was recruited by professor Bonnet, and it was definitely worth it," Dustin Siggins, a Senior Business major said, "It was surprising to see how well thirty six students with different skill sets could work so well together," Siggins added. For some students in the class, the project made a personal impact, "Last summer I had an internship at Disney, I had planned that after graduation I would go back to Florida," Sean Hooke, a senior Communications major said, "Doing this project has changed my mind, I'm going to look around here a little bit more," Hooke said.

The 55 percent initiative may be making an impact on future N.H. graduates already. The project highlighted the positive aspects of being young in the Granite State, and it may make a difference in the state's aging demographic at this time.