Fraser’s CTE programs, or Career Technical Education, have unfortunately taken a back seat while other programs of the school shine. Everyone hears about how good the marching band is or how the swim team made the championships, but no one hears much about the welding and other manufacturing programs.
That is all about to change. On Monday April 30th the CTE programs got more attention than the students could’ve ever imagined. The director Brent Brasure was joined by various sponsors of a new program being launched. PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) is coming together with General Motors, L.F Metalworks, NASA Hunch, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Oakley Industries Inc, For Automation, and Superior Heat LLC to open more doors for the manufacturing students.
Not only did the President or Vice Presidents of these companies come to speak, but various individuals from the Board of Education, the Superintendent, State Representatives, County Executives, and former Fraser graduates come to speak as well. Each individual had the desire to raise the budget and bring forward opportunities the students weren’t aware they had.
The first speech if the day was given by Brian Glowiak of the SME Foundation. He introduced the partnership and gave saddening facts on why it was definitely needed: In 2025 it is estimated that two million manufacturing spots will still be unfilled.
“We wanted to partner with PRIME and Fraser High School because students need that hands-on relationship with manufacturers. Co-op internships want practical experience to fill open jobs. We have been successful with forty-five high schools in twenty-two different states,” Brian Glowiak SME Foundation said.
The new program gives students the opportunities to train with robotics, language of manufacturing, teamwork and collaboration, animation, and computer framework.
Mike Johnson, Vice President of Government Affairs, of the Michigan Manufacturing Association was next to take the podium. His speech was more positive and focused on the outcome the program would bring to the state of Michigan itself.
“Michigan has created 180,000+ new jobs in manufacturing since 2009. This program will connect students to various pathways with employers. The success will be driven by primary funding from manufacturers and their facilities. Overall, this program will find careers and make Michigan a better state,” Mike Johnson, MMA said.
None of the students could have imagined that the the next speaker would take such an interest in this program. The Vice President of Global Design at General Motors, Michael Simcoe, traveled to Fraser to show that hands-on manufacturing skills can travel a long way on the career ladder: From personal experience of course.
“I’ve come to work with a wonderful team of designers from Michigan. We use hands-on skills to design a car and bring it to life. Even with all of the wonderful technological advances, the importance of working with your hands cannot be lost,” Michael Simcoe, General Motors said.
Followed by a personal anecdote, he then went on to inspire the students that there career path was relevant and in fact, severely needed in today’s manufacturing world.
“The design skills I learned today started when I began building model cars as a kid. It then transferred to using the clay and other models at GM. This technique is changing rapidly, more skills are dependent upon and critical to success. Regardless if this fact, the hands-on training is still just as important. It’s hard to find young people who still have this training so the job openings are just as within reach as ever,” Simcoe said.
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel did take to the podium but his personal interview gave more in depth insight on his feelings about the program.
“School programs like these at Fraser High School do a great job at showcasing talent. And finally, the manufacturing program is getting the attention and funding to open new doors for the students involved,” Mark Hackel County Executive said.
The manufacturing field is very unique and different than the others offered at Fraser. That is exactly why Mark Hackel believed it was so important to showcase.
“You usually hear about two types of jobs. The white collar jobs and the blue collar jobs. The white collar job being administrative or office work and the blue collar jobs associated with manual labor. Manufacturing is not either which is why I like to think of it as a new collar job. There are so many different skills combined into one job that it can’t be classified by the old means,” Hackel said.
Another sponsor of the program, Michael Oakley of Oakley Industries, told a true story of a high school student making success in the manufacturing field directly out of high school.
“My father used to run our company and hired a young man from Clintondale High School across the street. After training and working hard that young man is currently the Press Manager at the company,” Michael Oakley, Oakley Industries said.
On the other end of the spectrum, it was time for a few Fraser graduates to give their perspectives about manufacturing and share their successes.
First up was Tyler Fordson. Tyler joined the manufacturing classes in her senior year of high school. It wasn’t an obvious career path that she was interested in, she enrolled only to get a CTE credit.
“I did not originally want to go into welding and didn’t think it would turn into a career for me,” Tyler Fordson, Fraser graduate said.
Brent Brasure taught the welding courses. He made the students feel like the class was an opportunity for progress rather than a requirement.
“It was peaceful and I liked using my hands. I learned that once graduating I could become a welder, educator, teacher, or supervisor. I was also told welders were paid a pretty penny and I was finally sold,” Johnson said.
Tyler went to a community college after high school to gain experience and become certified. She then transferred to Ohio State to finish a degree.
“One day while I was in one of my classes, I was approached by a woman with an offer to teach others how to weld. I currently work at a nonprofit in Detroit teaching young women and adults how to weld. This helps to bridge the communication gap that welding is in fact important,” Johnson said.
The last speaker of the morning was Nick Roan, another Fraser graduate. Nick graduated in 2005 and is currently getting a degree in mechanical engineer at Oakland University.
“I joined welding back in high school because a lot of my friends were in welding. I made some great friendships in that class and currently go camping every year with six of the guys in my welding class,” Nick Roan, Fraser graduate said.
Different from the personal relationships Nick created in welding, he also learned about the relationships between the employers and workers in the manufacturing industries.
“I fit in pretty well at the company I work for now. My position as an engineer is to solve problems in the workshop. The ability to make something better or make it happen is something to be proud of. You are a key part of a company no matter how small you start out. Even if it’s a small improvement, it’s a step in the right direction,” Roan said.
Once the presentations were over open interviews were available to all members of the media or press. The opportunity to speak with any of these public figures was too good to pass up.
U.S Representative Sander Levin has been in office since 1983. That’s thirty-six years. Mr.Levin has seen decades worth of changes in all career paths, but his opinion in this program shows just how revolutionary the changes will be.
“When I was in school a long time ago, we had what was called shop. It was really second place compared to college prep which was the focus. Time has gone by and as it turns out, shop is now taking a more primary role, and that’s what we are all experiencing here today in Fraser. This school has taken the lead in showing the elevated importance of Technical Education,” Sander Levin, U.S Representative said.
This conference is just the start for the manufacturing students. The doors opened will bring the appropriate attention the field needs to progress and evolve into future careers.
Reflection: In my opinion, this was my longest and most well written piece of second semester. It was such an exciting opportunity to be a part of and was full of great interviews with high level individuals.
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