What do young people want out of their education and careers? What can we do to help them?

Recently, SEMCOG and the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) talked with two groups of high school students about their education experience, college, and careers. We were impressed by their insight, ambition, optimism, as well as their recognition of the need to begin preparing for future careers.

Two focus groups, comprised mainly of freshmen and sophomores, were conducted at Romeo High School in Romeo and Fordson High School in Dearborn. Both schools are participating in the Ford NGL framework – a four-year high school experience that advances student, community, and workforce success.

Ensuring our education system is preparing students for college and careers is one of the focus areas of the SEMCOG/MAC Future Skills Task Force. Southeast Michigan’s economic prosperity and individual security in the changing world of work depends on having a skilled workforce.

So what are the main takeaways from our conversations?

• The top three career interest fields are health care, public/human services, and business.
• There is limited interest in construction, information technology, or manufacturing.
• The top career priorities are salary, work/life balance, and meaningful work.
• Most students plan to pursue a four-year degree; just under half of them plan to transfer to a four-year institution after first completing a two-year degree.
• The majority of students plan to pay for college through scholarship/grants in addition to working part time and family support. They worry about the debt associated with college but felt it was important enough to pursue because a degree”sounds better” and was important to employers.
• STEM and business are the most popular areas of post-secondary education. There is some interest in professional trades but almost no interest in teaching careers. This is because of the salary and under-appreciation of teachers. However, teachers were seen as very important for helping them learn and prepare for the future.
• Students feel that employers most value communications skills, a college degree, and work experience.
• More than half felt their education was preparing them for college while less than 30 percent felt it was preparing them for a career.

Romeo High School students

When asked for suggestions for preparing students for the changing world of work, they suggested:

• Fewer required classes and more electives – particularly related to career interests, college applications, arts, and life skills, such as teamwork, time management, and how to handle money. One student said, “I want more classes that will help us in the big world on our own.”
• More “hands-on” opportunities, less lectures and papers.
• Several students asked for more classes “to understand the workforce and the types of jobs,” “teach us more about the new workforce,” and “let students experience the career they want while still in high school.” A student interested in cosmetology said, “It would be nice to experience it before I pay to go to trade school.”
• Finally, students asked for more focus on social anxiety, depression, and mental health, and more social workers and teachers who understand that “students have lives and things to deal with at home.”

Fordson High School students

While the students see the need for more opportunities to learn about careers, they recognize the value of post-secondary education in preparing for their future. They appreciate the Ford NGL approach to the Academy model because it provides them with information on careers they would like to explore further, as well as the education needed for success in these fields.

Our experience with these focus groups was helpful to understanding student perceptions. It also helps us to identify opportunities to raise awareness about different career and college pathways, as well as importance of collaboration between educators, employers, and the community. There is limited knowledge (and appreciation) of apprenticeships, industry certificates, internships, and numerous opportunities in the region’s high-growth fields.

Many thanks to the students for participating in the focus groups, and the teachers and administrators for making it possible. For more information on either of these programs, please contact their Academy Coaches:

• Rich Boggio at Romeo Schools
• Colleen Schumm at Fordson High School