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To Beat Brain Drain, Governor Wolf Pushes Perception Change

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- To the new class of local college graduates: we'd really like you to stick around. That's the message from Governor Tom Wolf, who told a gathering at a Philly Tech Week event Wednesday at Temple University that his administration is working to change perceptions of Pennsylvania.

Even the governor has work to do in this regard.

"I have two daughters, by the way," Wolf said. "I'm trying to convince them to come back here, and I think I'm going to be successful."

For his girls, and for the rest of those who afflict the region with brain drain, it's part sales pitch, part systemic change.

READ: Philly's Tech Sector Accelerating, But Not Running On All Cylinders

"We want to make sure schools are doing what they need to do to prepare our future workers," the governor said, "but we also need good schools to be magnets for families -- entrepreneurs who want to build families in these communities."

Wolf says his government is looking to spark job growth and innovation through initiatives like open data. Julie Snyder leads that effort.

"Crash data, that's a very large data set...historical mile markers, to put information like that out...campaign finances...voter history."

The top public requests: water quality in fracking areas, and dog bites.

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