Much has been said and written about the “brain drain” in our state, and the difficulty companies have in luring young people to move here.   Ask any recruiter, and he or she will tell you that Chicago, New York, Boston, and other cities are often more attractive to job candidates.

This week on Face the State we get some input on how Connecticut can be made more desirable to young professionals.  Our panel is made up of three up-and-comers who have strong opinions on what should be done.    Julie Daly is the executive director of HYPE; Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs.   Earl O’Garro is the CEO of Hybrid Insurance Group, which just relocated its headquarters from the suburbs to downtown Hartford.    Gregg Gorneault is an academic advisor at UConn.  All three have seen their peers flock to more exciting locales, but the trio can also easily rattle off a litany of great things about life in Connecticut, while admitting improvements are needed.

They all seem to agree that making Hartford a stronger, more vibrant  city is a top priority.    The regional feel of Metro Hartford requiring one to drive to one place for concerts and museums, and another town for stores, and another for something else can be a turnoff to some.    Other issues raised:   lowering the cost of living, more housing downtown, better public transportation to New York and Boston, and a major league sports team.

You can see their entire discussion this Sunday morning on Face the State at 11 o’clock on Channel 3.

Here is the link:  http://www.wfsb.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6594683