Mlive.com reported last Sunday that Flint, Bay County and Saginaw County have all started young professionals networking groups to fight brain-drain. »

To be honest, I don’t know why I stayed. I just did. Maybe it was fear of trying somewhere new. Maybe it was a desire to be close to my family. Maybe it was just habit. But I did stay, and the longer I’ve been here the more I feel glad I stayed. »

Tracking job opportunities in Michigan over the last few months has been like watching a tennis match between two kids. The ball’s been all over the place, and there hasn’t been one rally –- but everyone still wants to be optimistic. »

When college students travel to Detroit, it‘s usually to visit nightclubs, maybe a ballgame. But last weekend a group of students spent time in the city for something completely different. »

Every third Tuesday, young professionals from the Jackson area get together to network and talk about local job opportunities. David Buchanan, who's a member of the group they call Jacktown Connect, told me that it has been hard for young people in Jackson looking to start careers. »

Five advertising agencies with offices in Detroit are developing campaigns targeted at Generation Y to "Sell Detroit." The goal is to change people's perception of Detroit and attract young people to the city. »

Lauren's story "Pledging Allegiance to Michigan" inspired Grand Rapids resident Kevin Buist to start a Facebook group called "Michigan by Choice." The group already has more than 110 members a day after its founding. »

A lot of young Michigan college students practically pledge to themselves they will leave the state after they graduate. But some of the best and brightest are pledging their allegiance to Michigan. »

Where did the 14,000 Michigan graduates who packed their bags and left the state in 2008 all go? Matthew Neagel is a researcher at a local think tank in Ann Arbor called Michigan Future. He says most graduates headed to a handful of major urban centers. »

We want to create a variety of ways to interact with the Generation Y Michigan project. Here are some of the developments we've been rolling out in the past week or two. »

This weekend students and experts in the new economy public policy field will gather at the MSU Detroit Center for the "Midwest v 2.0: New Innovations, Re-energized Workforce, Sustainable Future" event. »