Overview for educators

During Career Preparation, high school students refine their career goals and the necessary educational preparation needed to be productive citizens in a global society. Various career preparation activities provide advanced/real-world experiences that help students link their career options and educational decisions. Students learn through coursework consistent with their career interest area, contextual learning, and Career Preparation while meeting academic standards. 

Counselors help students and their families plan and prepare for postsecondary education and careers. The goal is to create learning opportunities that support academic rigor, knowledge and skill development, social-emotional learning, and career preparation. Career Preparation activities assist students in their academic readiness, connect students to their Career Cluster of interest, and prepare them for high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers. (Michigan Career Development Model, Preparation Section, 2018)

The MiSTEM StoryMap was developed for the purpose of helping educators and students to make more real-world career connections in their communities. The StoryMap provides a visual resource for students to locate businesses and jobs in STEM fields that offer high-wage and high-demand jobs. The accompanying lessons work to incorporate preparation skills such as written and verbal communication, elevator speeches, and identifying needs and wants in employment. 

The StoryMap and lessons are in alignment with the Michigan Career Development Model guidelines and help to meet the requirements of the Michigan Public Act 230 of 2018 (Section 11).

*Thank you to our supporting partners at the Northwestern Lower MiSTEM Region, Regional Director - Drea Weiner and Career Exploration Specialist & Shelly VanderMeulen for their contribution and work on these lessons.

Introduction for students

If you are wondering what a StoryMap is, it is literally a map that helps to tell a story. In this case, it is a StoryMap of all of the businesses in the MiSTEM Network's Greater West Michigan area that have one or more STEM careers at their location. This is your opportunity to learn more about what a STEM career is AND find out about businesses and careers in your area.

The MiSTEM Network's Greater West Michigan Region includes Allegan, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa counties. 

Once you access the map, move your mouse around the maps, explore the industry clusters, and find a business, internship, or apprenticeship you might be interested in learning more about. 

Click here to explore our GIS Classroom Lesson 

Agriculture

Agribusiness has a broad range of in-demand careers that require STEM skills. Career focus areas at businesses in West Michigan include animal systems, plant systems, agribusiness systems, food products and processing systems, biotechnology systems, environmental service systems, natural resource systems, agricultural education, and structural and technical systems. Careers may involve operating advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, monitoring the health of animals, or designing new products and packaging. In-demand jobs in this area include:

• First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers
• Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing
• Chemist
• Food Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Industrial Maintenance Mechanics
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Cargo and Freight Agents
• Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Drivers
• Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers

Construction

Construction businesses highlighted in STEM meet a multitude of services needs for local communities. Services can include, commercial buildings, residential buildings, servicing hospitals, schools, government agencies, local businesses, and more. Businesses in the industry are hands-on with projects from the planning and design phase, to the final completion of the project. Businesses in the area have also put an emphasis on technology with the incorporation of virtual reality, drones for surveying, upgraded equipment, safety technology, and much more. The construction industry offers a variety of entry points, and great career pathways into the industry regardless of educational status. In-demand jobs in this area may include:

• Equipment Operators and Heavy Equipment Operators
• Project Managers, and Estimators
• Civil Engineers and Mechanical Engineers Architects
• Electricians and Maintenance Electricians
• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Plumbers
• Utility Locators, Ariel Lineman, and Installers
• Cabinet Makers, Woodworkers, and Carpenters
• Construction Laborers and General Laborers

Energy

The energy sector runs on STEM skills. The energy sector outperformed the rest of the economy in job creation, employing 6.8 million people and adding over 26,000 jobs in 2019.[1] As the sources and methods used to generate energy change, STEM will be an essential foundation of that transformation. Across the country, people in STEM fields are working to reduce carbon emissions, create systems to recycle solar panels and plastics, clean water sources, and solve many other important problems facing our world today. STEM professionals are also dependent on when it comes to designing, building, installing, and maintaining many of the advanced sources of alternative energy used today, including wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels. As the demand for these types of energy sources continues, so will the demand for STEM skills.

Possible careers include:

• Data Scientist
• Electrical Engineer
• Environmental Engineers
• Forest Fire Prevention
• Mathematician
• Nuclear Engineer
• Physicist
• Solar Photovoltaic INstallers
• Statistician
• Web Developer
• Wind Turbine Technicians

Healthcare

Healthcare care careers have a heavy emphasis on STEM skills. You can find health career positions in all sizes of organizations, from a traditional hospital setting to dedicated outpatient offices, to meeting patients where they are at their homes or places of work. Organizations such as dental offices, counseling centers, and community health centers are also included in the health care industry. Health care workers often work face to face with patients, however, there are a multitude of important roles behind the scenes in places like laboratories and administrative offices as well. In-demand jobs in this industry include:

• Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
• Community Health Workers
• Dental Laboratory Technicians
• Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
• Medical Assistants
• Pharmacy Technicians
• Physical Therapists
• Phlebotomists
• Registered Nurses
• Surgical Technologists

Popularly used tools in this industry include:

• Needles
• Orthopedic Devices
• Microscopes
• Surgical Lasers
• Syringes

Popularly used pieces of technology in this industry include:

• Appointment Scheduling Software
• Computer-Based Training Software
• Diagnostic and Procedural Coding Software
• Information Retrieval or Search Software
• Medical Health Information Software

Information Technology (IT)

Information Technology is transforming the way people live, work, and play. Information Technology (IT) is the fastest growing industry and job creator in the world. The IT sector includes companies that produce software, hardware, and companies that provide internet or related services. The United States has the most advanced software and IT services industry in the world. More than 40 percent of the $5 trillion global IT market is in North America, primarily the United States. The industry accounts for $1.8 trillion of U.S. value-added GDP and 12.2 million jobs. Every industry uses technology and there are a broad range of jobs that are considered technology-related. Examples of careers include:

• Software Engineer
• Computer Scientist
• Information Architect
• Web Designer
• Software Tester
• Project Manager
• Data Scientist
• Data Analyst
• Cybersecurity Engineer
• UI/UX Designer
• Scrum Master
• Help Desk Support
• Installation technicians
• Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• Chief Information Security Officer
• Technical Recruiter
• Computer Science Teacher

Manufacturing

The Greater Grand Rapids region is home to one of the nation's largest and most diverse manufacturing sectors. We are national leaders in plastic, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, production technology, automotive, office furniture, aerospace, and more.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, is "The most successful intensive manufacturing city in America" - The Economist

Industry Quick Facts:

• More than 141,300 advanced manufacturing jobs in West Michigan
• 2,535 advanced manufacturing establishments
• A job growth rate of 29.1% from 2011 to 2020, significantly outpacing the national rate of 7.6%
• 130+ international manufacturing companies

Manufacturing currently accounts for 19% of all jobs in the region and remains the heart of Greater Grand Rapids' economy. In a 2020 study of 'Cities with the Most Manufacturing Jobs,' the Grand Rapids-Kentwood MSA was found to have the most manufacturing jobs per capita of any large metropolitan area in the U.S. The city's concentration of manufacturing jobs amounts to twice that of the national average.

Looking for career information? Check out the Department of Technology, Management, and Budget - Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiative -  Michigan's Hot 50 Job Outlook through 2030!