Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI)

Founded in 2011 by Michigan's University Research Corridor (Michigan State University, University of Michigan and Wayne State University) together with Global Detroit and private-sector partners, the Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI) was the United States' first program built specifically to keep international STEM graduates working in the state that educated them.

GTRI connects international students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Curricular Practical Training (CPT) with Michigan employers through career fairs, an online talent portal and direct employer engagement, targeting sectors -- advanced manufacturing, IT, engineering -- facing skilled-labour shortages.

A tracking study of more than 2,500 international students who used academic CPT/OPT training found 63% were working in Michigan one year to 29 months after graduation, compared with a 59% in-state retention rate for domestic Michigan graduates found by Michigan Future Inc. and the Detroit Regional Chamber -- meaning GTRI-supported international graduates stayed at a slightly higher rate than domestic ones, in a state with more than 38,000 international students, concentrated in STEM fields.

GTRI's model -- an intermediary organisation curating employer connections outside individual university career offices -- has become a reference point cited by other regions' talent-retention efforts, though independent, methodologically rigorous replication data outside Michigan is limited.

Read the full analysis: https://globaldetroitmi.org/gtri/