A colleague asked me recently what options were available to her 22-year-old son looking for a career that he was interested in and could train for. He had graduated from high school and tried different jobs, but he had not been able to find a true calling. He is not unique.
At any given time, Pure Michigan Talent Connect – the State of Michigan’s career portal – has between 80,000 and 100,000 job postings. Jobs exist, but the problem for many young people is knowing where to look and how to get the appropriate training. Some of the most in-demand careers in Southeast Michigan are in manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare.
The North American International Auto Show – going on in Detroit this week – showcases the importance of the auto industry to our region and highlights its many career opportunities. While the majority of these jobs require some post-secondary training, there are positions for all levels of experience and education in fields such as engineering, information technology, manufacturing, business, supply chain, accounting, and many others.
Most young people decide on their careers by observing their family and friends, hearing from their teachers, or even watching TV. Only a few are able to depend on high school career counselors. While we think of counselors as being responsible for guiding students to career/college choices based on their interests, aptitudes, and financial considerations, the career counseling system is one of the most strained services in our education system. With an average ratio of one counselor to every 700 students in Michigan, many students never receive one-to-one career advice. Counselors also have to take care of scheduling, testing, and social challenges – leaving very little time for actual career counseling.
As a result, many students leave high school with a better idea of where they want to study rather than what to study or the types of careers are possible from a study track. We need to do a better job in providing students with career counseling, especially the increasing opportunities in STEM and skilled trades. Strengthening the career counseling system is one of the policy recommendations developed by SEMCOG and the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) as part of our STEM Careers and Skilled Trades Initiative.
In the meantime, there are many resources available to young people to help them make educated decisions on post-secondary options.
- SEMCOG’s STEM and Skilled Trades Student Resource Center answers some of the essential questions that students have when choosing careers.
- Mi Bright Future provides students with career exploration experiences and mentorships with local employers.
- Mi Trade School identifies skills needed for specific “skilled trades” careers, links to training programs, and job postings.
- There are five Michigan Works! agencies in the region, with staff trained to assist youth:
- Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation
- Macomb St. Clair Michigan Works!
- Michigan Works Southeast (Washtenaw and Livingston counties)
- Oakland County Michigan Works!
- SEMCA (out Wayne and Monroe counties)
- Our community colleges are a great resource for individuals of all ages who want to improve their skills, train for an in-demand career, prepare for a career change, or even start or grow a business.
- SEMCOG’s Preparing the Technical Workforce report identifies about 60 training programs for career awareness, preparation, training, and apprenticeships offered by community colleges, school districts, training organizations, and Michigan Works! agencies.
As you see, there are a variety of resources available. The challenge is making sure students and young people know about them. This requires more coordination among counselors, educators, employers, and training institutions. SEMCOG and MAC will continue to work with stakeholders to promote these resources.
Leave a Reply