MONEY

Push is to fill professional trade jobs in Lansing area

Edythe Hatter-Williams
For the Lansing State Journal

Over the last few decades, fewer and fewer young adults have pursued a career in the professional trades. Now, Michigan and the U.S. are facing a labor shortage in the professional trades.

As result of retiring baby boomers and the 2008 recession to the heavy emphasis on high school students to pursue a four-year college degree, not enough skilled workers are available to fill the jobs that are essential to our economy.

Michigan leaders are on a mission to revitalize the reputation of professional trades, and position them as a lucrative career option for young Michiganders.

Professional trades will account for more than 500,000 jobs in Michigan by 2024, and are projected to grow 50 percent faster than the statewide average during that time. How will leaders in Michigan fill the more than 15,000 job openings annually in the professional trades?

Enter Going PRO. Going PRO is an initiative by the State of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Talent and Economic Development that aims to showcase the rewarding career opportunities available for Michiganders and bust misperceptions about the professional trades.

“Many people have outdated perceptions of the professional trades,” said David Murray, communications director for the Michigan Department of Talent and Economic Development. “In reality, jobs in the professional trades are cutting edge, high-tech, high-skill professions that pay well.”

Misconceptions

One of the biggest misperceptions about the professional trade occupations is they are low-skill and low-wage jobs. Wages for the professional trades is 45 percent higher than other occupations, with the average professional making $51,000 annually.

The professional trades include more than just manufacturing, too. There are a number of opportunities in information technology (IT), health care and construction – and many students, parents and educators today don’t know about them.

Going PRO is aiming to reach more than just students. The goal is to educate parents, counselors, educators, coaches and other people who influence young adults to highlight all career options.

“We’re working with schools to encourage students to think about the professional trades, and let them have an idea of what jobs are out there, and the steps to take to get there,” said Murray. “A traditional four-year college isn’t the only option. We’re not downplaying going to college, but we’re ‘up-playing’ the other paths that people can take to get good-paying jobs in growing fields.”

Major investment

Capital Area Michigan Works! and the Capital Area Manufacturing Council are doing our part to highlight the opportunities in the professional trades, too.

The State of Michigan Talent Investment Agency invested $2.8 million in mid-Michigan talent to train nearly 3,000 workers under the Skilled Trades Training Fund in 2017.

As a result, Mid-Michigan companies hired nearly 1,220 individuals and 150 apprentices to ensure talent had the tools and resources necessary to compete in the global market.

To educate students and families about the professional trades, the Capital Area Manufacturing Council is collaborating with manufacturing companies in the region to celebrate National Manufacturing Day on Oct. 6, 2017.

“Members of the Capital Area Manufacturing Council are passionate about what they do. They’re excited to showcase their facilities and talk about the great careers that are available with short-term training, often just a year or two after college,” said Michelle Cordano, executive director of the Capital Area Manufacturing Council.

“Events, like Manufacturing Day on Oct. 6, 2017, help students see that today’s manufacturing is not a dirty, boring job, but rather a platform to innovate, often using state-of-the-art tools and equipment in diverse fields like green energy, modern robotics, biotechnology and engineering.”

Interested in learning more?

Explore opportunities in the professional trades and Going PRO here: https://www.mitalent.org/skilled-trades, and learn more about the Capital Area Manufacturing Council here: http://www.camconline.org

Visit www.camw.org to connect with the Capital Area Michigan Works! team for assistance with career exploration, apprenticeship information and more. Capital Area Michigan Works! is a proud partner of the American Job Center Network, offering services in Ingham, Clinton and Eaton counties at our Lansing, St. Johns and Charlotte American Job Centers.