Jump starting careers
Posted by Lake Superior Community Partnership on April 1, 2015
Back in December, the LSCP was awarded a contract from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to serve as the Region 1 (Upper Peninsula) liaison for their Career Jump Start program. LSCP Business Development Representative Linda O’Brien has taken the lead on facilitating this program for our region.
Career Jump Start was initiated in response to concerns raised at Governor Rick Snyder’s 2013 Economic Summit. One of the most common issues raised was around the lack of knowledge that high school students have about high demand careers and training programs. Career Jump Start liaisons promote the Michigan Advanced Technician Program and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (also known as MAT2) , along with local programs within each region that provide training which will lead students to high demand and high paying careers. Working closely with Career Technical Centers and school districts, the program’s focus is to provide students with career choices requiring shorter term credentials, associate degrees and apprenticeships that are sought after by employers. This initiative provides one career liaison for each of the 10 “Prosperity Regions” who partner with Michigan’s community colleges, Michigan Works! agencies, employers, trade unions, chambers of commerce and other key organizations to provide resources to households about training opportunities for occupations that are in high demand by employers. The ultimate goal is to connect high school graduates to high demand jobs, in turn closing the skills gap in Michigan.
High demand, high paying careers require some form of education beyond high school, but may not require a 4-year college degree. Many of these skills are best learned through internships and apprenticeships. Employers have demonstrated that they are more than willing to help their employees learn the skills needed for success. Careers in agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, natural resources, engineering and information technology are just a few of the occupations facing major labor shortages. For more information about future demands in these careers visit Michigan Career Spotlights at http://www.mitalent.org/career-spotlights.
Just as training to become a machinist or mechanic isn’t for everyone, pursuing a college degree doesn’t fit every student’s skill set. Working in a skilled trade position can offer family sustaining wages, benefits and stability. These types of jobs have changed considerably over the years and in many cases are quite high tech. Are you quick thinking, enjoy problem solving and being innovative? Then these fields may be for you!
A wonderful resource with more details on these careers is the insert that was in the Mining Journal last month. This informational piece put together by the Career Technical Education (CTE) committee, highlights several career based programs including welding, hospitality management, aviation, electrical engineering, construction management and more. The 12 page insert breaks down the education requirements, average earnings, profiles of recent grads who have chosen each field and details about each career path. It can be found at www.marquette.org/blog or a printed copy can be picked up at our office.
The goals of Career Jump Start fit perfectly into the talent enhancement strategy in the LSCP’s strategic plan. The LSCP partners with the CTE committee and Lake Superior Partners in Education which also ties in nicely with this program. Our efforts in CJS allow us to connect to the MEDC’s talent programs and expand and communicate best practices across the region. As talent remains one of the top issues for our businesses we believe it is important that economic development organizations along with our many partners do our part to close the skills gap in the Upper Peninsula. For more information on this program, contact Linda O’Brien at 906.226.6591 or lobrien@marquette.org.
Amy Clickner, CEO, writes a bi-weekly column in the Mining Journal.
