Area programs help bridge skills gap

Posted by Lake Superior Community Partnership on January 13, 2016

You may have seen some press lately regarding the unemployment rates in Marquette County. In November, we saw the lowest rate since 2005 at 4.4%! This is below the Upper Peninsula and the State of Michigan. We monitor these numbers monthly and are thrilled as they decrease. While it is exciting to see that people are working, as it is extremely important to a successful economy, there are some challenges that come along with this news.

Daily we hear from our business clients and investors that they are struggling to fill open positions. This is not limited to certain sectors or skills, but is across the board from truck drivers to engineers. There are many wonderful organizations throughout the U.P. that recognize this issue and are working collaboratively to bridge the skills gap. I wanted to take this column to share a few programs that are helping to make this happen.

Last month, students in Ishpeming High School’s Construction classes held a ground breaking for their Hematites Building Better Neighborhoods project. Students will take an old house and completely rehabilitate it over a two year period. This project will give the kids real life experience and exposure to the trades that could help guide them to one of these career paths in the future. This program is possible thanks to a variety of businesses, educators, community organizations and the Marquette County Landbank pulling together to make it happen.

The LSCP has been honored over the past year to lead the Career Jump Start (CJS) initiative throughout the Upper Peninsula. Career Jump Start liaisons promote local programs within each region in the state that provide training which will lead students to high demand and high paying careers. Though the LSCP’s work is completed on CJS, it helped us create an even larger network of schools and businesses to collaborate with moving forward.

Also in 2015, the U.P. Collaborative Development Council (UPCDC) received a grant to facilitate a marketing campaign promoting the skilled trades in the Upper Peninsula. The LSCP has played a lead role on behalf of the UPCDC and created a website (www.handsonmichigan.com) which is designed to be a one stop shop for everything relating to careers in the trades. We will continue to add information to this site and keep it up to date. If you know any high school students thinking about what they’d like to do after graduation or someone looking at a career change, direct them to this site to find out more. A special thanks to the many businesses and organizations who have worked with us on this project.

Last but not least, I want to recognize the Marquette Alger Technical Middle College (MATMC). This is a public, tuition-free, early college program that enables students from throughout Marquette and Alger Counties to earn a high school diploma, a significant number of college credits and a Technical Certificate from Northern Michigan University (NMU) at no cost to the students or their families. What a great way to start your career debt free with opportunity to continue education from there or enter the workforce. This program falls under Marquette Alger RESA’s Career Technical Education committee and they have worked hard to get it to where it is.

Are you a company who is struggling to fill positons? Contact our office (906.226.6591) and learn about the variety of services that we offer to help with your talent needs.

Whether you are an employer, parent or student, simply visit www.marquette.org and click “live & work” and “working here.” From there you can access the many tools and services available at your fingertips.

Amy Clickner, CEO, writes a bi-weekly column for the Mining Journal.