Fueling the Talent Pipeline
One of the most universally encountered challenges businesses face is finding and keeping a workforce with the skills necessary for open positions. But what if - through unique and committed partnerships - a community was able to cultivate its own workforce by connecting students with opportunities to better understand which career path best meets their talents and interests?
Macomb County’s Fueling the Talent Pipeline initiative does just that. The program connects employers with educators to provide meaningful career exploration activities for students and to prepare the next generation of our workforce for the interesting and well-paying jobs offered by local companies. Our approach is collaborative and community-driven. We meet with area employers to understand their workforce challenges and then partner them with schools that offer related career training. Through these partnerships, students gain greater insight as to how their interests and abilities, combined with the appropriate credentials, lead to rewarding careers. Are you ready to help develop your future workforce? There are many ways to get involved. Explore the links below to learn more.
Ways to get involved with the next generation
Work with a teacher to assist a class to complete a real-world, project-based assignment.
A supervised work-based learning experience which links an 11th- or 12th grade student with an employer for a planned set of activities often designed to give the student a broad overview of a business or occupational career pathway. (May be short-term: 18 weeks)
A school-supervised and structured 15 hour/week paid work experience during their 12th-grade year arranged by the school and the employer to lead to an occupational goal. This experience is for the entire school year and includes a training agreement and a training plan, which couples the classroom learning with the workplace experience.
Specialty programs such as robotics, are always in need of knowledgeable adults who can lend their expertise with projects or competitive teams.
Invite a group of students, teachers and chaperones to visit your workplace to see careers in action. Prepare to show them a glimpse of your operations so that students see how many careers intersect to create company success. Prepare employees to offer mini introductions to the work they do and offer students time to ask questions.
Create a display that describes your organization and the types of careers you offer. Whenever possible, include hands-on opportunities for students to see and touch the “tools of your trade” and provide giveaway items.
Invite students to visit your workplace to see people at work. Job shadow opportunities are typically for 11th graders who have selected a career path and want to gain a better understanding of what it is really like to have a job. They last anywhere from four to eight hours and should offer a chance for students to interact with employees, observe (or help) with tasks and ask questions. Visit our Job Shadow 101 page to learn more.
Develop a presentation of 30 minutes or less that describes your organization and the types of careers you offer. Include visual props that demonstrate the “tools of your trade” and be prepared to ask questions to get students engaged with you. Talk about the types of credentials needed to apply for the types of jobs you offer and the pay and benefits you offer. Encourage students to ask questions.
The Career Technical Education (CTE) programs offered by districts are required to have employers involved in their advisory boards, This commitment typically involves a few meetings throughout the year to review curriculum and lesson plans as a way to keep learning relevant with current employer needs. There are occasionally opportunities to serve as part of a formal presentation offered to large groups of students.
