The following is a personal essay from Jennifer Weot, a senior outreach specialist for Macomb County Planning and Economic Development.
When you graduated from high school, did you know what you wanted to do next? What career you wanted to pursue? I’m going to guess and say no. It is interesting how we end up where we are, isn’t it?
I knew what I wanted to do. However; what I wanted to do and what I ended up doing are very different. I wanted to be an elementary teacher. When I graduated from college, the job market was saturated with teachers! Nobody ever said to me: “It’s great that you want to be a teacher, but so does everyone else. It will be very difficult to find a job.” Of course now, it is a completely different job market.
What about the students of today? Do you think they know what they want to do after high school? I can guarantee that most of them don’t. They have no idea what is out there.
This is where we have a problem.
Depending on who you ask, you will hear different verdicts on the state of education in Michigan and the preparation our students are receiving for life after graduation. According to the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation (DRCF), the high school graduation rates in our area are high:
- Detroit region - 85%
- City of Detroit - 74%
So, what is happening to all of these students after they graduate from high school? The DRCF also provides data showing that college enrollment in our region is down 37% and that 42% of the students who choose to pursue a post-high school education do not have the credential or are no longer enrolled after six years. At this rate, the fear is that Michigan employers’ talent shortage is likely to get much worse than it already is.
What can you do about it? Get involved! As an employer, you have a unique opportunity to help high school students, our future workforce, figure out what careers best fit their interests and abilities by offering them exposure to what it is that you do. You can help develop your future workforce! And Macomb County is here to help. Our “Fueling the Talent Pipeline” initiative is all about connecting industry to educators. By providing meaningful career exploration opportunities, such as industry tours, job shadows, internships and more, your business not only provides exposure to what it is that you do. It helps in developing interest in these students. Many may not even be aware that your career exists.
Here’s a brief rundown of the types of work we do:
- Host Manufacturing Day Week (MFG Day). This is a national event held on the first Friday of October. It is manufacturing's biggest opportunity to inspire the next generation to pursue careers in modern manufacturing. Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) partners with the Macomb Intermediate School District, along with an active planning committee and generous sponsors, to coordinate one of the nation’s largest celebrations of MFG Day. Since 2014, more than 22,000 students have participated.
- Partner with Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL). MCPED is the convening organization for two Ford NGL school districts in Macomb County - Romeo and Center Line. In this role, we connect the schools with opportunities for their students to explore career pathways in every industry.
- Collaborate with the Macomb Intermediate School District. Outside of its work with the Ford NGL districts, MCPED collaborates with the MISD to ensure all students across the county have access to career training and education.
- Sponsors and participates in MiCareerQuest Southeast. Michigan Works! offices from across the region partner to host MiCareerQuest Southeast every year for 8,000 students at the Novi Suburban Showplace. This event provides hands-on activities related to career exploration in four quadrants: construction, information technology, advanced manufacturing and health sciences. MCPED partners with organizers to have Macomb County companies represented.
We have 21 school districts in Macomb County and they all offer some type of Career & Technical Education (CTE) classes. These instructors are looking for businesses that can help their students understand what the real world looks like in these fields. Help the students and your business by getting involved and developing your future workforce. Reach out to me at jennifer.weot@macombgov.org for more information and to get involved today.
