Opinion | International student retention closes the talent gap in Michigan

Immigrants have long showcased their talent in Michigan, from engineering and tech to hockey and baseball. The “Russian Five” Detroit Red Wings were champions in the 1996 and 1997 seasons, and the 2024 Tigers reached the American League Division Series (ALDS) with a critical pinch-hit double by Andy Ibáñez, a Cuban immigrant.

Championship immigrant talent is critical in business and sports. New research on international student retention shows significant talent opportunities for Michigan. Economists and business leaders agree attracting top talent is critical. MichAuto and Richard Florida released a 2023 report, “Michigan’s Great Inflection: A Strategy for the Age of Technology and Talent” noting “To ensure the long-run prosperity of its industries, communities, and people, Michigan must focus its economic development strategy on . . . generating, retaining, and attracting the talent required to compete in this new economic environment.”

The study focused on degrees and technical skills for building digital, connected and electric vehicles. Advanced degrees in computer science and electrical engineering are key. According to the National Academy of Sciences, over 70% of US graduate students in these fields are international students. For Michigan to win the talent war, employers must change hiring practices. Retaining more of the 33,000+ international students enrolled at Michigan colleges and universities is the most impactful solution to winning the talent war.

June 2024 international student retention research from the Economic Innovation Group (EIG), shows West Coast states outperform other states in retaining international students. EIG’s research suggests that not retaining international students reflects hiring practices and culture, not federal immigration rules.

Global Detroit runs the nation’s first international student retention program helping employers fill skilled STEM jobs with international students from top universities. Recent state investments in the Michigan Global Talent Initiative (MGTI) enabled the program to become the nation's largest, most active international student retention program.

Thousands of talented software developers, engineers, and high-skilled Michigan and US STEM international student graduates would love to work here but return to their home countries because they can’t secure jobs. These students are authorized to work for three years after graduation on student visas at no cost to their employer. Their employers don’t need to engage an immigration attorney or pay visa costs.

The hiring practices and workplace culture within our communities keep us from accessing talent. According to EIG, West Coast states have 83 workers who earned their US degree as international students in the prior decade for every 100 international students who graduated from schools in their region. In the Midwest, it’s 36.

While an estimated 75,000 international students graduated from Michigan colleges and universities between 2012-2022, it’s estimated that there were only 27,000 workers in Michigan in 2023 who were international students graduating during those years. If Michigan hired and retained international students like the West Coast, we’d have 36,000 more skilled workers.

The MichAuto and Richard Florida report notes lower salaries plague Michigan’s mobility industry. Global Detroit’s experience working with thousands of international students suggests lower salaries are not a barrier to retaining talent. Last summer, two high-performing, experienced engineering master’s degree candidates asked MGTI for help moving to Michigan to work in mobility.

MGTI couldn’t find jobs for these candidates, nor could the students. These students had “foreign-sounding” names and accents despite English fluency. Each may need an employer to consider visa sponsorship for employment beyond the three years allowed under student visas. However, West Coast employers discovered how to make this system work.

Some worry a second Trump term would create barriers or eliminate this talent pipeline. If his first term is any indication, none of the immigration rules governing international student retention were changed. During his campaign, Trump indicated he supported automatically granting international students a green card after they graduate from a US college or university. It’s unknown whether he’ll pursue this policy.

Perhaps the new research on international student retention, and our winning sports teams, offer lessons for Michigan on how to assemble championship talent.