TRAVERSE CITY ? Gov. Rick Snyder told hundreds of auto industry executives this week that one key to continued economic prosperity not only in the state, but also in the auto sector is developing a comprehensive Career Technology Education program.
Speaking at the Center for Automotive Research?s Management Briefing Seminar at the Grand Traverse Resort, Snyder said a top priority for his administration is improving how people get career connected. One solution is vocational training.
?Vocational training was big at one time,? he said. ?We looked at the future of the world and made the determination that going to high school in the traditional sense was not good enough. We needed something extra to be prepared for our future. The decision was made as a society is we told everyone that we should all get a university degree. My goal is to make Michigan the leader in establishing career tech education.?
One way to achieve this goal is to get parents and kids to understand what the skilled trades are, Snyder said.
?Most people do not understand that people working in factories are skilled trades on the production floor. We need to make the same connection in agriculture.?
Snyder said a farmer driving a $250,000 tractor, or a $500,000 combine is a skilled trade person as well. He said Michigan has 70,000 open jobs at the MITalent.Org jobs bank alone. But he suspects the actually number of openings for skills professionals ? those who study in the so-called STEM trades of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math ? is more than 100,000 statewide.
?We have a career investment calculator on that web site,? Snyder said. ?The two things we want to do at MITalent.Org is generate a return on investment and determining what the probability of finding a job.?
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