TMCnet News
A skilled trades talent pipeline to fuel Michigan's comeback [Michigan Chronicle (MI)](Michigan Chronicle (MI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Everything begins with talent. It is the new currency in economic development. When I was in high school, you had a choice of two educational tracks: learn a trade or prep for college. To our detriment, we got away from vocational education in Michigan. We are now making a renewed push to promote it as a way for many of our young people to build a future. In the last few years, the Michigan comeback has been led in part by the success of advanced manufacturers and high-tech companies. Michigan is the top-rated state for creating new manufacturing jobs, and manufacturing employment in the state has increased for three straight years, according to the 2014 Michigan Manufacturers Directory published by Manufacturers' News, Inc. In addition, a study commissioned by Automation Alley shows the Detroit region is now the largest tech hub in the Midwest. Metro Detroit tech industry employment is up 15 percent (approximately 30,000 jobs). This growth is reflected in our improving unemployment numbers. Today, Michigan's unemployment rate is 7.5 percent-the lowest since April 2008. Yet, we still have a long way to go. There are between 65,000-75,000 open jobs at any given time on www.MiTalent.org. This tells us one of our biggest challenges is overcoming a skills mismatch. Many of these are good-paying jobs in high-demand manufacturing fields that require specialized training and skills but not necessarily a four-year degree. "One of the problems is that the career opportunities that exist in many industry sectors are often unknown or misunderstood by students or their parents," said Southeast Michigan Community Alliance Chief Executive Officer Gregory E. Pitoniak "This has or will result in talent shortages for many Michigan employers." Partnering with the private sector, academia, and others, we are working to stay in front of the curve by developing a pipeline of young talent that can meet employers' demands. One of the ways we are doing this is Career Jump Start, a partnership between the state and community colleges. It promotes training opportunities for in-demand careers to Michigan high school students. The initiative educates them about associate degree programs, apprenticeships and other training opportunities. Community colleges in 10 regions around the state house career liaisons who provide resources to high school counselors, administrators, parents and teachers about post-high school training programs that will prepare students for in-demand occupations. In Southeast Michigan, Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN) oversees the program for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. The partnership is conducted through Oakland Community College. WTN's Lisa Gordon is the career liaison for the region. She can be reached at 313-550-7181 or [email protected]. Another initiative, the Michigan Advanced Technician Training program (MAT2), is helping to close the skills gap manufacturing industry by teaching students theoretical and practical skills in the Mecha-tronics (a combination of mechanical engineering, electronics, computer technology and information technology,) IT, and Technical Product Design. The program is offered through Henry Ford Community College, Macomb Community College, Mott Community College, and Oakland Community College. Participating students receive a salary and have all tuition fees paid for by their employer. At the end of the program, students are guaranteed a job with one of the participating manufacturing companies in Michigan. As MAT2 expands, we are recruiting Detroit students to participate in the program. Presentations have been made to more than 200 students (and parents) of the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, Martin Luther King Jr. High School, Golightly Career and Technical Center, and Davis Aerospace Technical High School with several more presentations planned in the coming months. Countries, states, and cities that excel in developing a 21st-century talent workforce with the combination of education, skills, and aptitudes employers are looking for have the upper hand in the global competition for economic growth and job creation. In Michigan, it starts with changing perceptions of parents and young people that four-year college degrees are the only pathway to success. For more information about Career Jump Start, please visit www. mitalent.org/career-jump-start/. For more information about MAT2, please visit www.mitalent.org/mat2/. By Michael A. Finney PRESIDENT AND CEO MICHIGAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (c) 2014 Michigan Chronicle |