Where do young people get ideas for careers? Certainly, their parents and families are a major influence. Teachers can also be a source of inspiration. But what does it take to get from general interest in a subject or field to a passion? Young people need to see, feel, and experience careers to really know what they are about and figure out if they work for them.
The SEMCOG/MAC report Preparing the Technical Workforce includes several programs for building career awareness and interest. These include Beaumont’s Saturday Series; Manufacturing Day; Monroe County ISD Summer Camps, and SEMCA Michigan Works! talent tours.
SEMCA, the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance, is one of 16 Michigan Works agencies in the state of Michigan. Its youth programs are targeted to young people between 14-24 and focus on education, career development/exploration, training and job placement. SEMCA’s Talent Tours are a way of exposing young people to high-demand careers such as advanced manufacturing, health care, and IT.
Over the last three years, Pat LeBlanc, SEMCA’s Manager of Youth Workforce Programs, has arranged tours of companies such as Quicken Loans in Detroit, Aztec Manufacturing in Romulus, and Mercy Memorial Hospital in Monroe. In addition to company visits, SEMCA is incorporating community college visits so participants can learn about careers and training opportunities. LeBlanc says, “We use labor market information to identify high-demand industries/occupations in Southeast Michigan, which we use to organize our talent tours. We also share the labor market information with youth.”
Recently, about 45 young people from the SEMCA region, which covers out-Wayne and Monroe Counties, visited Quicken Loans. Participants were given an overview of the company and job opportunities. They were excited. As one participant said, “I loved everything about Quicken Loans…if you are having a bad day, the atmosphere will take it all away…the good atmosphere and vibe keep you pumped up – you don’t feel like you are going to work…work should be fun.” Talent Tours are an effective tool for helping to expose young people to careers they may not have considered.
The value of participation for employers such as Quicken is development of a future talent pool by exposing young people to IT careers. Participants came from SEMCA youth programs in Dearborn, Highland Park, Livonia, Monroe, Southgate, and Wayne. Some of them are students at community colleges or vocational schools, some work part-time, but all were excited about having an opportunity to visit Quicken Loans and learn about potential careers, workplace conditions, and company culture.
Promoting opportunities in high-growth industries provides a win-win situation for both employers and potential employees. Find out more about talent tours and other programs related to career awareness in the SEMCOG/MAC report.
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