Thank you for an insightful discussion this evening. As an “international transplant”, a graduate of RIT and UofR and a young professional, I’ve grown to enjoy Rochester as a place to live and work. But Molly’s comment about our generation’s professional ADD and the fact that a clear career path beyond that first entry level job is not really visible in Rochester resonated with me.
On a different note, I also wanted to connect with you regarding a project I am trying to get off the ground this year – FutureSquash, an urban squash youth enrichment program for Rochester city school middle schoolers. If you have a chance, please check out http://www.futuresquash.org
Molly, I’d love to pick your brains about this sometime, given your experience in this area. Derek, I checked out http://www.thepointrochester.org. Great stuff! How do I get FutureSquash on there???!!!!! Thanks.
This may not apply to many of you, but for many people of color, its much harder to apply their professional skills once they graduate than it is for them to work a factory of low skill job, as they may have prior to graduation. There appears to be resistance to hiring Hispanics and Blacks in many local organizations for professional positions. I know many who have left the region when their interview process became a quest for a reason NOT to hire them. A MBA grad should not have to work as a $7.50 an hour bank teller to break into banking in western NY. I know many engineering and computer science graduates who fled the area and are not returning.
Excellent job last night, folks. Greatly appreciated the presentation and the forum. More importantly, I look forward to seeing the notes and contacts. Let me know what I can do to keep the momentum moving forward. I’d be glad to help.
Thanks for bringing attention to this topic. Students that were born and grew up in New York State should especially pay attention to the issue of ‘bright flight.’ We must address this problem because of the broad damage that is being caused when our educated citizens leave their home state. Low tax revenue, increasing unemployment, urban blight, and a generally stagnant economy all have a direct and real correlation to the demographic change of our workforce.
There is really only one solution to this problem. Locally bred New Yorkers, and those transplants who have come to make Upstate their second home, must look past the immediate impact that comes from a higher wage job in Silicon Valley, Vegas, Seattle, etc. They must see the long term impact that taking a pay cut and staying in New York will have. The more of us that leave, the deeper we dig the hole that is New York’s crumbling economy. Graduates need to be exposed to the inner cities and see the crisis that is not coming but is already here. The solution won’t come from Washington or Albany, it can only come through the direct involvement of educated and qualified persons who, unfortunately, are not sticking around to help.
Some have commented that Upstate/Rochester doesn’t have much opportunity past entry level in some fields. And they have justification in this. But the situation doesn’t doesn’t get any better if you leave, it only gets much worse. We need to stop worrying about ourselves and start worrying about the greater New York community and the millions that will be born into a welfare state if those of us who were lucky enough to get a higher education take our brain power elsewhere. Not much of a job market for your field? Become an entrepeneur!
I recieved my entire education through New York public schools, from kindergarten to my MA. It is now time for me to pay back the taxpayers and neighbors who made that possible by using the skills I gained here to help the state excel and be able to do the same for the next generation. Thank you WorkPlayStay.
Let us know what you’re thinking!
[…] Discuss […]
Derek, Molly, Samantha and Bob,
Thank you for an insightful discussion this evening. As an “international transplant”, a graduate of RIT and UofR and a young professional, I’ve grown to enjoy Rochester as a place to live and work. But Molly’s comment about our generation’s professional ADD and the fact that a clear career path beyond that first entry level job is not really visible in Rochester resonated with me.
On a different note, I also wanted to connect with you regarding a project I am trying to get off the ground this year – FutureSquash, an urban squash youth enrichment program for Rochester city school middle schoolers. If you have a chance, please check out http://www.futuresquash.org
Molly, I’d love to pick your brains about this sometime, given your experience in this area. Derek, I checked out http://www.thepointrochester.org. Great stuff! How do I get FutureSquash on there???!!!!! Thanks.
This may not apply to many of you, but for many people of color, its much harder to apply their professional skills once they graduate than it is for them to work a factory of low skill job, as they may have prior to graduation. There appears to be resistance to hiring Hispanics and Blacks in many local organizations for professional positions. I know many who have left the region when their interview process became a quest for a reason NOT to hire them. A MBA grad should not have to work as a $7.50 an hour bank teller to break into banking in western NY. I know many engineering and computer science graduates who fled the area and are not returning.
Excellent job last night, folks. Greatly appreciated the presentation and the forum. More importantly, I look forward to seeing the notes and contacts. Let me know what I can do to keep the momentum moving forward. I’d be glad to help.
Thanks for bringing attention to this topic. Students that were born and grew up in New York State should especially pay attention to the issue of ‘bright flight.’ We must address this problem because of the broad damage that is being caused when our educated citizens leave their home state. Low tax revenue, increasing unemployment, urban blight, and a generally stagnant economy all have a direct and real correlation to the demographic change of our workforce.
There is really only one solution to this problem. Locally bred New Yorkers, and those transplants who have come to make Upstate their second home, must look past the immediate impact that comes from a higher wage job in Silicon Valley, Vegas, Seattle, etc. They must see the long term impact that taking a pay cut and staying in New York will have. The more of us that leave, the deeper we dig the hole that is New York’s crumbling economy. Graduates need to be exposed to the inner cities and see the crisis that is not coming but is already here. The solution won’t come from Washington or Albany, it can only come through the direct involvement of educated and qualified persons who, unfortunately, are not sticking around to help.
Some have commented that Upstate/Rochester doesn’t have much opportunity past entry level in some fields. And they have justification in this. But the situation doesn’t doesn’t get any better if you leave, it only gets much worse. We need to stop worrying about ourselves and start worrying about the greater New York community and the millions that will be born into a welfare state if those of us who were lucky enough to get a higher education take our brain power elsewhere. Not much of a job market for your field? Become an entrepeneur!
I recieved my entire education through New York public schools, from kindergarten to my MA. It is now time for me to pay back the taxpayers and neighbors who made that possible by using the skills I gained here to help the state excel and be able to do the same for the next generation. Thank you WorkPlayStay.