Michigan Colleges and Trade Schools

If you are a resident of Michigan who is eager to begin working on a post secondary degree, then you have certainly come to the right place! Have you already completed the requirements necessary to obtain your high school diploma? Have you already chosen a career path that will yield the end results that you desire? Are you now struggling to select the most appropriate learning institution that will fit within your lifestyle while also helping you achieve your goals? If you found yourself nodding in agreement to each of these questions, then you will definitely want to keep reading! Below, you will find some information regarding employment in the state of Michigan, along with a brief introduction to some of the most popular collegiate choices.

Current employment projections for the state of Michigan show that 59-63% of available jobs will require individuals to hold a post secondary degree in order to be adequately qualified. On the opposite end of these projections, only about 28-31% of available jobs in Michigan will be appropriate for individuals who only have a high school diploma. In addition to the number of jobs that you may be adequately qualified for, you can also expect there to be a vast difference in the amount of pay that you will receive depending on your level of education. One of the most popular options in Michigan is Grand Valley State University, which is located in Allendale.

This public university is currently reported to have approximately 24,000 students enrolled. Of this number, the vast majority of individuals are working to complete the requirements for an undergraduate degree program. Although if a graduate level degree is what you have your sights set on, you can accomplish that here, too! Grand Valley State University is classified as an "up and coming" college that has an exemplary school of business. Michigan State University is a large public research university that is located in East Lansing. Currently, this learning institution is reported to have approximately 46,000 students enrolled; about 36,000 of these enrolled students are working to obtain an undergraduate degree program. Although this university is well recognized for its strong research, liberal arts, and science degree programs, there are definitely many other viable options for prospective students to consider.

Another great option for interested individuals is Hope College, which is located in Holland. This privately operated liberal arts college is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America. With a small enrollment of only undergraduate degree students (current figures show only about 3,200 students), you can expect to complete your degree in a fairly intimate setting. As a means of validating this learning institution, Hope College has been named in Loren Pope's Colleges that Change Lives. Although this post secondary institution is recognized for strong degree programs in the sciences and liberal arts, there are many other promising degree options offered at this facility. Alma College, which is currently home to only about 1,400 undergraduate level students, is classified as a private liberal arts college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Alma College boasts an average class size of only nineteen and an impressive thirteen to one student to faculty ratio.

If financial aid help is an added benefit for you, then you may want to check out Albion College. This college is well recognized for a large majority of their students receiving financial aid, which helps to defray the cost of tuition for applicable students. With a small enrollment of less than 2,000, this private liberal arts college is known for its affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It is imperative to note that this learning institution only offers undergraduate level degree programs. In addition to great academic degree programs, Albion College also offers students a very active, diverse student body that they can flourish within.

While this college is known for its phenomenal degree programs in the areas of science and liberal arts, there are certainly many other viable options for prospective students to peruse. Calvin College, which is located in Grand Rapids, currently reports an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students. While the large majority of these individuals are working to complete an undergraduate degree program, there is a small number of students who are working on a graduate level degree. Operated as a private liberal arts college that is affiliated with the Reformed Christian Church, Calvin College is well recognized for the ninety acre ecological preserve that is on their campus.

Focused Career Training in Michigan

Michigan has a strong workforce with over 4.1 million with still an above average wage of $46,130. A big percentage of careers are in administrative support occupations but production makes up almost 20% of the entire workforce. Some of the additional careers that aren’t in manufacturing include:

Healthcare Industry: This sector represents over 575,000 jobs in Michigan with over $32 billion in payroll. With healthcare jobs representing 19% of all jobs in the state you can see why so much importance is placed on educating the workforce. Healthcare related jobs include careers in pharmacy technician, patient care technician, medical assistant and dental assistants. Many of the vocational schools in Michigan offer some sort of medical related training that usually results in the student graduating with a certificate which can lead to a job directly after graduation.

HVAC: HVAC technicians can be trained in Dearborn, Roseville, Southgate, Taylor and Southfield. The median salary is $41,000 but many can earn more if you ever choose to open up your own business.

Engineering: The automotive industry is always looking for college graduates with engineering degrees as it is a common degree the industry likes in their graduates. Other degrees include electrical engineering technology and industrial engineering technology.

Culinary Arts: If you like cooking and would like to make a career of it then consider getting trained in culinary art, baking and even pastry. The rise in the tourism industry has put a strain on the number of qualified culinary artists. With tourism a $22.8 billion dollar industry the food and beverage and lodging companies need to fill positions. Many of the culinary schools in the state have several campus locations so you can get the proper hands-on training you need.

Business Marketing: One of the top business related certificate and degree programs that is on the rise is marketing. The great thing about marketing is it allows you to work for lots of different companies that all require web designers, multi-media specialists and graphic designers. Even specialized training such as search engine marketing, html and PHP coding can be learned in a short period of time. These types of positions can earn you a salary of $30,000 to $80,000 per year, especially as a marketing consultant for Michigan businesses.

Automotive: Many of the top schools in the state offer engineering programs that will help you qualify for many of the automotive careers after graduation. Over 14 colleges in the state offer degrees that are automotive related. If you aren’t interested in working for a major manufacturer then you can research careers in auto mechanic certification and auto body repair. These vocational programs can be completed typically in 1-2 years where you can become

 

Education Data for Michigan

One of the more impressive turn around in terms of education has come from Michigan over the past 10 years. The state has invested millions in the development of quality K-12 programs and those efforts have been paying off Back in 2008 only 35% of the working population had earned their Associate’s degree or higher where today the percentage is 43% and climbing. With almost 11% having earned their graduate level degree it shows that Michigan is on the right track compared to the rest of the nation but more work still needs to be done as major cities are still facing a recession. One area that needs special attention is the breakdown of education based on race. Caucasians that have earned a degree make up 40% where African American and Hispanics only 23%. The Asian population is the most educated in the state at 69% of the workforce having earned at least an AA degree.

The state is clearly mixed in terms of where the highest percentage of its population lives that has the highest education level. Counties such as Ingham, Leelanau, Washtenaw, Ottawa, Clinton, Houghton, Livingston and Oakland are the highest. The least educated counties include: Clare, Osceola, Lake, Kalkaska and Oscoda.

 

Top Industries in Michigan

Automotive: Michigan is home to 60 of the top 100 automotive plants and automobile suppliers. Over 2.4 million cars and trucks are made each year in the Detroit area. The state focuses on job creation for the automotive industry and providing jobs for over 70,000 in the state that handle not only manufacturing but research and development.

 

Michigan Career Resources
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_mi.htm

http://www.michigan.org/industry/
https://www.michigan.gov/mde