State Senator John Proos continues to work overtime to help both high tech companies looking to fill jobs and those who are in search of the opportunity to get a high paying job right here at home. His latest effort is one that could well pave the way for Michigan to be the first state in the nation to have special STEM endorsements on high school diplomas, signifying that the students who graduate with them are a cut above in that arena.
The Michigan Legislature last week finalized Proos’ legislation to ensure students are provided with important career information and that they can get a leg up on earning a job in a high-skilled career or in continuing their education.
The St. Joseph Senator says, “These measures are about helping students succeed by ensuring they get all the information they need on in-demand jobs in their area and highlighting skills training that students may have taken to prepare for these growing careers.”
Senate Bill 343 would require school districts and public school academies to provide students with the most recent available analysis of in-demand occupations for the economic forecast region in which the school or public school academy is located. The bill would allow the in-demand careers information to be emailed to students.
Residents can see the current “Hot Jobs” outlook for Southwest Michigan by clicking the link provided by the Senator below. That information is compiled on an annual basis by the Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
Outlooks for all of Michigan’s 10 prosperity regions are available at www.milmi.org/research/regional-hot-jobs-for-2024. Here’s the local link which is a subset of that full compilation:
http://milmi.org/Portals/137/publications/RegionalHotJobs/Hot_Jobs_Region8.pdf
Proos bemoans the fact that “Michigan’s economy is growing and creating jobs, yet many of these well-paying positions remain unfilled.” He adds, “We owe it to every high school student to provide them with comprehensive career information — including materials on fields where jobs currently exist and are expected to be created — so they can make the best decision for their future.”
SB 344 would allow Michigan students to receive a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) certification on their diploma or transcript as an incentive for taking additional STEM courses.
He points out that, “This certification would be a chance to reward students who take additional STEM classes and to highlight their accomplishments.” He concludes, “I look forward to seeing the governor sign this bill to give our students a competitive advantage in landing a great job by making Michigan the first state to allow this STEM certification opportunity.”
To earn the certification, students would need to complete at least six credits in mathematics, at least six credits in science, at least a half credit featuring significant coursework involving technology, and at least a half credit featuring significant coursework involving engineering.
The bills now head to Governor Rick Snyder to be signed and enacted.
