Brain Drain

West Virginia is suffering serious brain drain, the loss of young West Virginians to the rest of the country. People love West Virginia and want to stay, but without good-paying jobs, it is impossible to create a life and raise a family. The people we lose decimates the workforce that an employer would want and need in order to establish a new business in West Virginia. What’s more, people looking for work in West Virginia will want more than jobs; they also need support. Several of the policies outlined here would go a long way to mitigating West Virginia brain drain. First, we need a robust public school system so families are confident their children are receiving a 21st century education. Second, a system of preschools is necessary to attract working families. Families must be confident that their pre-K children receive high quality early childhood education while they are at work. Finally, no one is going to move to an area where your kitchen and bathroom faucets dispense dark, cloudy water, period.