Michigan schools are an important part of the national renaissance in career and technical education programs (CTE) that are preparing the next generation of leaders for skilled, high-wage jobs, and can act as an exemplar for other areas to follow suit.
With the start of a new year, there’s never been a better time for educators to seize the opportunity to prioritize career-focused learning in Michigan schools. While a student’s future is theirs to create, our schools must continue to adapt to the moment by providing more youth with real-world job skills, while connecting them with local businesses for mentorship and internship opportunities. It is crucial for education, industry and community advocates to cultivate these valuable experiences so that students can gain access and begin to form their own networks, as well as prepare them to make the most of these vital chances.
Thanks largely to a recent $5.6 million grant from the Ballmer Group and a $250,000 grant approved a few years ago from the Michigan Department of Education, efforts are already well underway to expand these learning opportunities in Michigan. National education non-profit, NAF, currently operates 51 career academies in public high schools in the state, giving nearly 3,000 students access to state-of-the-art equipment and connections with local businesses for mentorship and internships in fields such as engineering, hospitality and tourism, health sciences, finance and IT.
With that kind of impact, it’s apparent that more Michigan students are showing interest in CTE programs at their schools, especially as new reports show rising demand for skilled workers in IT and healthcare across the state.
It’s interesting to note that the 42 out of 50 “hot” jobs in Michigan over the next decade — which include jobs in finance, engineering, computer systems and healthcare — require a bachelor’s degree. The need for a degree puts an even stronger emphasis on giving high school students hands-on training, connecting them with area businesses for internships, and helping them develop a passion for a pathway they want to further explore in college.
The jobs are out there. A new Michigan Center for Data and Analytics report shows a labor market hitting historic levels with its highest payroll job level and lowest unemployment rate in more than 20 years. Both total employment and total workforce levels reached 15-year highs during 2023, while the number of unemployed reached a low last seen in 2000.
Looking ahead, Michigan schools could only benefit from offering students more college and career pathways and access to the full continuum of experiences (job shadows, worksite tours, apprenticeships, internships, etc.) proven to support them to not only make informed career choices, but also help them build their social capital and gain economic mobility.
No doubt, higher education will still be necessary for many jobs, but we could soon see more Michigan employers become more critical of whether a bachelor’s degree makes sense for a particular position – especially with skills-based hiring gaining ground.
In our ongoing pursuit of enabling students to reach their full potential, let’s do our part as educators to leverage CTE to help Michigan’s students experience transformative academic success and capitalize on that positive momentum, whether that be encouraging our districts to form partnerships with work-based learning focused organizations or offering CTE lessons and activities in the classroom. All combined, we’ll be able to help meet the moment for today’s students to achieve success in the workforce of tomorrow.
Dirk Butler is Chief Program Officer at NAF, a national education non-profit that supports more than 113,000 students in 600-plus academies across 34 states and territories. Learn more at NAF.org.