With the region’s population shrinking and aging, a prime source of talented employees lies in the international student population at area colleges and universities.
Alejandra Bejarano, economic recovery planner at Region Nine Development Commission, said many businesses are hesitant to try to recruit the students because they believe it will be too complicated.
But she said the students are proficient in English, skilled and eager to get jobs in the United States.
Bejarano, who spoke at a workforce event Thursday at Pioneer Bank, said surveys they’ve done show more than 80% of international students in the area say they would stay here after graduation if they had a job offer.
Minnesota has nearly 15,000 international students and Minnesota State University, South Central College, Bethany Lutheran College and Gustavus Adolphus College have all seen their international populations grow in recent years. The international student population in the state has increased nearly 5% in the past year.
International students are not allowed to work off campus, but businesses can develop internships and other programs that will give those students training and exposure to the companies so they can be hired full time after they graduate.
“Engage early with students,” Bejarano said.
She said companies should also be aware of how they are drafting job postings, as some terms might make international students feel they aren’t welcome to apply.
And, she said, businesses should connect with local higher education institutions to develop relationships with international students.
Region Nine is made up of Blue Earth, Nicollet, Brown, Sibley, Le Sueur, Waseca, Martin, Watonwan and Faribault counties.
Of the nine counties, only Blue Earth, Le Sueur and Sibley have gained population in recent years.
Andrew Burk, the CEO of Mankato YMCA, said they currently have four international students interning at the Y.
“We have a lot of great talent in our community and a lot of that comes from the university.”
A Taylor Corp. representative said that company-wide they hire about 2,000 fulltime and 1,500 seasonal workers on any given year and many are found through international student pipelines.
A two-year study by Region Nine found that businesses that retain or attract international workers can see their earnings grow 27% to 68%.
To guide businesses through the process of attracting international students, Region Nine created the Global Talent Toolkit that can be found on their website: rndc.org.