Advanced Manufacturing in Michigan is a vibrant and high-tech industry. It’s an industry that serves every other industry throughout the country and the world. Whether it’s healthcare, information technology, agriculture, or any other major industry in America, the advanced manufacturing industry creates the tools and products that make America work.
Michigan’s advanced manufacturing sector is coming back in a big way. Beyond the news headlines, companies are hiring and expanding operations throughout Michigan. From the Big 3 automotive manufacturers to furniture manufacturers to clean energy producers, manufacturers are hiring for long-term careers once again.
As employers begin to hire again, they are looking for top-notch quality in their workforce. A generation ago, an individual could get hired right after graduating from high school and pick up skills while working on the job. Today, employers want their workforce ready to work, with documented skills, at the point of hire. This makes sense, but requires a “rethinking” of our ways for Michigan’s workforce.
The Michigan Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing (M-CAM), a collaborative effort of eight community colleges, is working to help train Michigan’s workforce to be ready for long-term careers in the advanced manufacturing industry. Through M-CAM training programs in production, machining, mechatronics/multi-skill, and welding, job seekers who complete training are helping to reach our goal of creating the most qualified and high-skilled workforce in the country.
Career pathways are tools to help students and job seekers make good decisions about their careers. They also help employers make important decisions about who they hire and why. Career pathways are designed to give job seekers a leg up in their quest for a long-term, good-paying careers in advanced manufacturing. Each of the pathways that have been developed by M-CAM partners represent opportunities for job seekers to grow their skills, obtain valuable credentials, and begin careers with great Michigan companies that manufacture products sold around the world.
If you are a job seeker, you should explore each of the career pathways to see which area is right for you. If you have interest in multiple areas, your individual career pathway can include components from any of these four pathways (and more)! By working with a career coach at one of the M-CAM colleges, you can map out your own path to success in advanced manufacturing.
As you review these career pathways, you should ask yourself some important questions:
If you have questions on any of these pathways, be sure to contact your M-CAM partner college.
