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Experiential learning (EL) has become a growing focus in New Brunswick, with universities and employers offering more opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience before graduating. As these programs expand, an important question emerges: do these experiences influence whether graduates stay in the province?

Retention is a long-standing concern in New Brunswick, where attracting and keeping skilled workers is central to supporting labour force growth. With significant investments in EL initiatives—including Future NB—understanding how these opportunities relate to graduate outcomes has become increasingly important for the province’s workforce and talent development goals.

Using linked data from EL programs, university records, and the Citizen Database (Medicare registry), a new study from DataNB follows undergraduate students from 2015 to 2022 to see who participates in EL and how participation relates to graduate retention.

Participation rates varied widely across institutions and fields of study, shaped by program requirements and differences in data collection. About one-third of students took part in at least one EL experience, with similar participation rates among NB residents, out-of-province students, and international students.

The results show a clear pattern: EL participants were more likely to remain in New Brunswick one and three years after graduation, especially students who were not originally from the province. While the differences are modest, they suggest that EL may help connect non-local students with local networks and opportunities.

At the same time, retention remains highest among NB residents, reflecting strong pre-existing ties to the province. Because these findings reflect correlations rather than direct causal effects, further research could help clarify how different types of EL experiences shape graduates’ decisions about where to live and work.