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Bridging the Talent Gap

To maintain a thriving economy, students need to be prepared for high-demand, well-paying jobs, yet there are currently more jobs than skilled workers to fill them. This series looks at how schools are preparing students for the future workforce.

Kent Career Tech Center and Kent Transition Center to merge

Kent ISD Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

The Kent Career Tech Center and Kent Transition Center merger, planned for the 2023-24 school year, is aimed at giving students more opportunities for career exploration...

Hands-on learning means expanded skills

Kent ISD Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

The pilot course in a planned merger of KTC and Tech Center programs shows signs of broadening skills-based learning to a wider student population...

‘I can’t imagine doing anything else’

Northview Morgan Jarema

This Northview Next Career Center grad discovered a new passion his senior year and landed a good job right out of high school...

Engineering internship helps Tech Center student explore career

Bridging the Talent Gap Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

Isaac Clark never knew how complicated making a box could be until he landed an internship at Michigan Lasercut...

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Playing with fire

Grandville Brett Atwood

The high school’s auto tech students are preparing this car for a full restoration — and preparing for a great career at the same time...

Framing the Future

Godwin Heights Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

West Michigan Works! Construction Roadshow gives students an introduction to the construction field...

Coming clean with chemistry

Forest Hills Morgan Jarema

STEM Academy students are on their way to cleaning up as they make, market and sell soap...

GRPS works to create direct teacher pipeline

Grand Rapids Phil de Haan

GRPS was one of 44 districts across the state announced a year ago as part of the new program...

Career fair exposes students to some 40 employers looking to hire

Grandville Beth Heinen Bell

Breakout sessions featured panel discussions on resume-building, career pathway options, interviewing and more...

Educators Rising empowers future teachers

Wyoming Alexis Stark

The new class is part of a national effort that aims to draw high-school students to the profession...

Employers, meet your future workforce

Wyoming Erin Albanese

About 120 students learned of the many jobs out there from representatives of nearly 30 different professions...

Manufacturing lab offers core credits, industry certification

Northview Morgan Jarema

Starting this school year, every student who attends Northview Next’s Career Center spends two days a week inside a portable classroom turned manufacturing lab at the back of the East Beltline campus...