STATE ADVISOR LISTENS TO LOCAL LEADERS ABOUT FUTURE WORKERS

Business, education, and elected leaders from several western Wayne County communities bent the ear of Governor Rick Snyder’s top advisor on workforce development on Tuesday, July 28.

Michigan Talent Investment Agency’s Stephanie Comai

 and AlphaUSA’s Chuck Dardas listen to the workforce
discussion with leaders from across Western Wayne County. 

Stephanie Comai, director of the newly created Michigan Talent Investment Agency, met for two hours with a group from Livonia, Westland, Wayne, Northville, Plymouth and Canton at Schoolcraft College. The focus was on the state’s shortage of young people pursuing careers in skilled trades, technology, and construction. Most of these positions only require one or two years of post-secondary education, and often pay more than many who earn a bachelor’s degree.

“Locally, statewide and nationally, we are all looking for talent but we are concerned the feedstock is dwindling in our workspace,” said Chuck Dardas, president and COO of Livonia-based manufacturer AlphaUSA.

Comai said her agency, created by the Governor in March, is charged with developing state initiatives that better prepares young people for in-demand jobs.

“We need to overcome the stereotypes that exist about skilled trades,” Comai said. “We plan to begin focus groups with parents to identify what they need to hear so they encourage their children to look at these careers.”

Paul Bohn, a lawyer and partner with the Northville-based firm Fausone Bohn, said there are programming gaps in education and there are unreasonable state demands for professionals to teach career technical education (CTE) classes.

“Guys like Chuck Dardas, who is an accountant and successful chief executive of a manufacturing company for many years is not ‘qualified’ to teach a business class in a Michigan school,” Bohn said.

Comai acknowledged CTE certification requirements are “horrifying.”

Educators detailed challenges they face promoting CTE and science, technology, engineering, and math programs (STEM).  With the need for education cuts in recent years, educators said limited demand for such curriculum made CTE programs an easy target for the budget ax. Additionally, local educators identified other issues:

Mark Bondy, who runs CTE programs for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, said the district recently used $1.5 million from a bond issue to enhance STEM labs, but there are not enough students using these labs.

Ann Owen, principal of Livonia’s Emerson Middle School, said she consistently sees seventh and eighth graders drop out of school. She suggested more active and engaging classes, such as robust shop classes, might keep these at-risk students in school.

Dr. Michele Harmala, superintendent of Wayne-Westland schools, said technical education is primarily discussed at high school and college level, but it needs to be introduced at younger ages, which may entice more students to these careers. 

Employers like Ted Barker, who runs Livonia-based Shaw Construction and Management Co., said there is a lack of awareness about opportunities in his industry.

“We have a lot of employees who make a very good living working for us, and only two of them have a bachelor’s degree,” Barker said.

Harmala said CTE is a less-expensive option for parents concerned about the costs of their child’s college education. And in many cases, Harmala added a motivated, experienced young worker with an associate’s degree will have a chance to earn a business, engineering, or management bachelor’s degree with the expense covered by their employer. 

Other leaders involved in the discussion included: Dr. Randy Liepa, the outgoing Livonia schools superintendent who will soon lead Wayne RESA; Dr. Michael Meissen, superintendent of Plymouth-Canton schools; Mayor Jack Kirksey of Livonia; Supervisor Phil LaJoy of Canton Township; and Supervisor Shannon Price of Plymouth Township.