Michigan has been encouraging youth to pursue a college education for many years. While important, that message has left many students unsure about how to explore and choose a career.

What does that mean? Employers across Michigan, including the Great Lakes Bay Region, are saying there is a critical need for skilled talent and there are open opportunities in many high-demand, high-wage careers. 

Delta College is collaborating with many businesses, educators and community partners to talk about these career options. We know demand for skilled workers is strong, which is why partnerships are needed to create a talent pipeline for local employers.

State and Regional Efforts

The State held a grant funding process called the Marshall Plan focused on career training. High schools could submit proposals focused on five key and high-demand, high-wage sectors: healthcare, information technology/computer science, manufacturing, professional trades and other business trades. 

It has been a call for schools and businesses to innovate and rethink how they go about preparing young people for the future.

Delta College’s Career Expertise

Due to Delta’s decades of expertise in many career programs, the College was asked to join three area school districts as a partner on their Marshall Plan efforts:

The Saginaw Intermediate School District’s “Michigan’s M-46 Talent Consortium”
This is the largest grant in the State with 72 named partners. Delta is committed to creating awareness and education ladders to help develop employability skills to address the skills gap and challenges in hiring a qualified workforce in the region. Delta is working with the Saginaw County Intermediate School District (ISD) and the Saginaw Career Complex to increase the alignment of career and technical education. The College will also offer dual enrollment opportunities in a number of programs such as CNC machining and healthcare programs. To learn more about dual enrollment while in high school, see page 25. 

“Students find it interesting to work with computers in the classroom, and then out on the machines producing the parts they designed,” said Terry Morse, Associate Professor of Computer Numeric Control (CNC). “We have the latest and greatest technology here at Delta. All the theory we learn, we can put into practice.”

Coleman Community Schools’ Regional Career Competency and Talent Pipeline Consortium
By connecting Delta’s agricultural technology program and its transfer agreement with Michigan State University, we are providing a dual enrollment Agricultural Technology program that gives students a first-class education in agricultural operations. 

Bay-Arenac ISD, Midland RESA and Gratiot-Isabella RESD
The IT Competency and Career Education Venture is an initiative that brings equitable access to competency-based instruction in IT, and exploration of high-demand careers to students in Bay, Arenac, Midland, Gratiot and Isabella counties. Delta is planning increased dual enrollment opportunities and work-based learning opportunities for students choosing to pursue these high-demand careers for all.

Apprenticeship Programs

To increase the number of qualified applicants, a number of employers and unions are supporting more apprenticeships. Through an apprenticeship, students can get 40 credits of a 62-credit associate’s degree paid for by an employer. Delta College works with 80 regional companies who have 300 apprentices. 

“This is a great opportunity for someone who wants a career in a skilled trade,” said Harvey Schneider, Skilled Trades Manager. “Plus, Delta can help students get connected to employers looking to hire apprentices.”   

Have a business need for student talent? Contact Lindsey Bourassa, Career Development & Employment Talent Pipeline Liaison at 989-686-9366 or  lindseybourassa@delta.edu.