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The Future of the Skilled Labor Force: New England's Supply of Recent College Graduates.

skilled labor force, which has historically been an engine of economic growth in the region. But the skilled labor force of the future is growing more slowly in New England than in the rest of the United States. Since 2000, the population of " recent college graduates " — individuals ages 22 to 27 with a bachelor's degree or higher — has grown by less than 9% in New England, roughly half the U.S. increase. This is better than the 11% drop in the number of recent college graduates that the region faced in the previous decade. But the increase since 2000 has not offset those earlier losses, making New England the only region to see a decline in this population since 1990. [See Figure 1.] The need to attract and retain recent college graduates has become a salient issue in every New England state. Policymakers and business leaders alike are concerned that an inadequate supply of skilled workers will hamper economic growth by creating barriers for companies looking to locate or expand in New England. Yet few steps have been taken to tackle this challenge. Every year, the region adds to its stock of recent college graduates, as each successive cohort of young adults flows through the education pipeline: entering college, completing degrees and choosing where to locate. Three main factors affect the stock of recent college graduates: • The supply of young adults to be educated at New England institutions — whether native to the region, from other parts of the United States or from abroad — is the primary source of growth for the region's employers. For example, a laid-off, mid-career adult may need opportunities to obtain new skills that make her highly employable once again, while a first-time college student can gain crucial exposure to postsecondary learning and even save money by obtaining college credits before having graduated high school. There is no doubt that all of this would be a major undertaking, but one that the region cannot afford to ignore. To be truly transformative, this effort cannot come solely from educators and schools. Rather, a long-term, regional campaign of political commitment and public will is needed. We will need effective messaging about the challenges facing our region, improvements and innovation in practice that can help more underprepared youth and adults advance and succeed, and policy changes that can spread and sustain more effective learning …