Over the past few months, I have heard the statement from both sides of the political fence and from independent candidates that there are no jobs for young people in Maine and they are all leaving the state to find work.

While I have no hard statistics about the number leaving, as the staff person who oversees employer relations at the University of Maine Career Center, I am aware of some numbers refuting these sweeping statements that the business climate here in Maine is all bad and our college graduates are leaving to find work elsewhere. Sure, there are some fields where this may be necessary such as communications, journalism, theater and other competitive fields where the jobs are fewer and the competition for jobs fierce.

Yes, we are a graying state and we have regional employment inequities, but there are good jobs for Maine grads. To find the numbers that show not all our young people are leaving the state, politicians should check with our community colleges and their surveys of recent grads. The last time I looked at these numbers while employed at Eastern Maine Community College from 1992 until 2004, the vast majority of these graduates were choosing to stay in Maine and contribute to the Maine economy.

If one looks at the University of Maine’s Office of Institutional Studies survey of 2003-04 graduates (the most recent survey available), 74 percent of the respondents from Maine who graduated from the University of Maine chose to accept jobs in Maine. Of the graduates in that class who were not from Maine, 34 percent chose to accept employment offers in Maine. Twenty-four percent of respondents to this survey indicated they were attending graduate school.

We do not have statistics yet on the Class of 2005 or 2006 as the survey process carried out by the OIS takes two years to complete. However, the National Association of Colleges and Employers has published a recent report indicating job offers will be up by 17 percent nationwide. A University of Maine Engineering Job Fair on Oct. 19, sponsored by the student chapter of IEEE (a professional association for electrical and computer engineers) and the University of Maine Career Center, brought 46 engineering employers to the campus, where 480 students attended this event.

As a follow-up, 10 employers returned to campus the next day to conduct more than 80 interviews with our students. Of the 46 registered employers, 20 were either Maine employers or employers offering jobs in Maine. Every one of these firms offers not only employment to engineers; as these firms expand, opportunities for non-engineering degree people also will increase to support expanded “back office” business functions. For every good job created, there is a positive ripple effect on small businesses in retail, the trades and personal services.

Looking at the pre-registration for our annual all-majors career fair to be held Jan. 31, I note that 47 employers have already registered. The goal of this fair is to bring 100 employers to the Memorial Gym and Field House.

Of the 47 already registered, 27 are Maine firms, offering Maine jobs to UMaine graduates. It should also be noted that, as a member of the Maine College Consortium, UMaine Career Center job fairs are open to all college students, including students from Maine’s community colleges.

The same is true regarding career fairs and graduate school fairs traditionally held at the University of Maine at Machias, the University of Maine at Farmington, the University of Southern Maine and Colby College. I am personally aware of students from UMM, Husson College and UMF attending and securing job interviews as a result of contacts made at the UMaine fair.

The point to be emphasized here is that we have a robust and respected system of higher education in Maine. I am sure there are things that can be done to make our business climate stronger but to make the claim that there are no jobs in Maine for young people needs to be a qualified one: The good jobs that are here require education beyond high school.

To attract new firms and to help other firms grow and compete in a global economy, the state of Maine needs to continue its investment in the economic engine represented by higher education in Maine, both public and private, to ensure that our systems of higher education continue to produce the outstanding graduates I have had the honor of knowing over my 19 years of employment at Eastern Maine Community College and the University of Maine.

Cathy Marquez is assistant director of employer relations at the University of Maine Career Center.