MOUNT PLEASANT — Central Michigan University hopes to keep recent graduates in the area.
It’s called ‘Michigan centered’ and it’s a program partnership with CMU and Middle Michigan Development Corporation designed to keep recent graduates of CMU in the area.
The hope is that they lend their newly developed skills to the communities they learned them in.
“The economic benefit is that we are able to have more talented people come in, get jobs, work for our companies, and that’s a need that we know our employers are always sharing with us.”
Middle Michigan Development Corporation president Katie Maura said graduates often leave the community after graduation.
The newly designed program allows up to ten graduates to be approved for the program.
“If they get a job locally within the area, we will be able to provide them with some incentives that will help make that transition, hopefully a little bit easier,” said Maura.
Here’s what students get.
“We’re providing some stipends for housing costs; we have $1,500 that can be used towards housing, it can be used towards childcare too,” said Maura. “Some of those basic essentials that you need when you are making that transition to a young professional status. We also have packages that include things like our membership to our Young Professionals Network here in the area, park packages and you even get to meet with some of our financial experts too.”
CMU student Josiah Thomas said having a chance to have a bit of post grad help can be a game changer for a new graduate who has gone from their parents’ home to dorms to being officially on their own.
“I just kind of gives me the opportunity to just take a second and start off on the right foot. Having a year’s time to just stay in the city and connect back to the university.”