High-tech jobs are in our backyard

Students seek them, local manufacturers have them

  

Manufacturing Professor Gene Keyes meets with prospective students
to his program during Schoolcraft College open house May 30.

Some 200 parents and their career-exploring children from Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, and Westland gathered at Schoolcraft College’s Technology and Engineering open house May 30.

Professors in advanced manufacturing, electronics, computer-aided design (CAD), welding, and plastics explained the training possibilities to the middle- and high-school students walking through campus. Several local companies, such as Roush, AlphaUSA, and Skyway Precision Inc., introduced themselves, what they make, and future careers to the inquiring young people.

It was the second annual career pathways open house at Schoolcraft, and there was a noticeable increase in the attendance from the inaugural effort in 2014 to connect students interested in learning about skilled-trades careers.

Roush Enterprises Recruiting Manager
Joann Revesz talks to students and parents about
what the Livonia-based company produces to
students at the open house.

Many of the students who walked through the open house were interested in one thing: High-tech jobs.. They quickly learned there are many such opportunities close to where they live.

“So many kids think there are only high-tech jobs at Apple or Google,” said Kelly Sharpe, the human resources manager at Skyway, which operates plants in Plymouth and Livonia. “I hope these kids and their parents are starting to learn that manufacturing is high-tech, too.”

State officials report more than 70,000 jobs go unfilled in Michigan, in most cases, because candidates’ qualifications don’t match the high-tech and skilled experiences employers need. Companies are turning away work because they don’t have enough workers to fill production demands in a timely fashion.

At a deeper level, this is all a part of a culture shift metro Detroit needs to experience to support a viable economy for future generations. We need to change the conventional thinking about manufacturing, where facilities are now incredibly dynamic with technology, and cleaner and brighter than many restaurants. Additionally, young people need to appreciate the pride and accomplishment of building products that touch people’s lives every day.

Professor Bill Schlick discusses his electronics program to students at
Schoolcraft College's technology and engineering open house.

Also, there is a reality that most future jobs require only one or two years of post-secondary education focused on obtaining skills. Harvard University reports that nearly two-thirds of jobs in 2018 will require specific skills available in a certificate or associate’s degree program; only one-third of jobs will require a bachelor’s degree or more.

With this year’s growth in interest in Schoolcraft’s technology and engineering open house, it appears more of our neighbors are getting the message.