More Michigan students pursue trades, but access disparities persist

Career tech education enrollment and completion rates are rising across Michigan
Schools are expanding programs through bonds, millages and state funding
Some rural districts face barriers to accessing grants and expanding programs

As demand for skilled trades grows, more Michigan students are turning to career and technical education programs, but access to those opportunities remains uneven across the state.

Enrollment and completion of CTE programs have surged in recent years, driven by workforce needs and increased investment from the state and local districts. Schools are expanding offerings through bonds, millages and new grants, while employers are helping expose students to hands-on careers.

In Michigan, enrollment in CTE programs has steadily climbed for the last four years after dipping during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 114,000 students participating in the last academic year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

A record 55,431 students completed CTE programs in the 2024-25 school year, up from 52,625 the prior year and more than double the 27,014 students a decade earlier.

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For students, CTE courses offer a pathway toward careers that do not require a college education.

“In my opinion, trade school offers more than college … because you’re learning actual tools that you can use throughout life,” Sivad Kemp, a senior at University Preparatory Academy in Detroit, told Bridge Michigan at a recent event. “Most students, when they’re interested in trade school, struggle to find programs that can help them.”

Kemp, who is interested in welding, said he didn’t know it was a career option until his senior year.

He was one of more than 100 high school students invited to a construction site in southwest Detroit last month by Sachse Construction, a local company that provided them with hands-on exposure to carpentry, electrical work, plumbing and masonry trade demonstrations.

Student with hard hat — Students practiced cutting drywall, highlighting the kind of hands-on training many students say is not widely available in their schools but would like more exposure to. (Bridge photo by Janelle D. James)

Adrianna Harris, a senior at Osborn High School in Detroit, said that after being exposed to various trades during the event in April, she is now reconsidering going to trade school.

“Everyone doesn’t have the same access and opportunities as others, so these opportunities may help students get jobs,” she said.

Harris is enrolled in a college-preparatory course at her school but wished she was exposed to skilled trades earlier.

CTE programs give students more employment opportunities, can boost long-term earnings and foster long-term stability, “particularly for students who are not on a traditional four-year degree track,” said Ben Damerow, senior director of the W.E. Upjohn Institute’s Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions.

The state predicts that there will be 45,000 new job openings annually in Michigan through the end of this decade. And by 2030, professional trades will account for more than 520,000 jobs in the state’s economy.

“Michigan is not an outlier. This is a national issue,” Damerow said. “Michigan is getting ahead in terms of being proactive about making investments in career and technical education.”

“The better partnerships we can have between educators and employers, the better students will be in the long term.”

Communities weigh funding to expand hands-on learning

Schools across the state are responding to the increased student interest in CTE programs, and in some cases are seeking public approval for related funding.

In Tuesday’s election, Marquette Area Public Schools is asking residents to support its nearly $60 million bond proposal, which aims to address “critical facility, safety and learning‑environment needs.”

“At the heart of this proposal is a focus on creating future-ready learning environments,” said Zack Sedgwick, superintendent for Marquette Area Public Schools.

The proposal would fund CTE and STEM spaces at Marquette Senior High School and Bothwell Middle School, along with more “visible upgrades” to academic, athletic and arts facilities, Sedgwick told Bridge.

Student with hard hat and teacher — A high school student drills into drywall with guidance from an instructor during the Detroit training event where students explored careers in the skilled trades. (Bridge photo by Janelle D. James)

“If this proposal passes, it ensures our students have the safe, technologically advanced spaces they deserve. If it does not, we remain in a reactive cycle of repair for aging systems, which ultimately prevents us from fully modernizing our educational programming.”

Elsewhere, Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District is asking residents to renew its 30-year millage, which has funded vocational programs throughout the 11 public school districts since 1996.

“Career tech has never been as hot as it is today and a lot of that has to do with our workforce demands and needs,” said Jim Rummer, CTE program director for the district.

As of June 2025, about 36% of the state’s labor force is over 55 years old.

“We really try to spread the wealth … and help fulfill the needs of this workforce demand,” Rummer said.

The district offers more than 50 CTE courses, including 23 “unique” courses like welding, agriculture and aviation science and technology. The district also partners with local business leaders who may provide instructors.

“Whenever a kid from one of our CTE programs is hired by a local business, we treat that almost like an athletic signing,” said Scott Koziol, superintendent of Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District.

“We publicize that on our website, on Facebook and all of our social media platforms because those are kids going right out of our CTE programs that are paid for by this millage, right into our local businesses and the local economy.”

Marquette and Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate are among 35 school districts seeking bond approval for various construction projects in Tuesday elections.

Rural districts struggle to compete for state grants

Career tech programs are funded at both the local and state level. The current state budget includes $41.7 million for districts to reimburse for career tech costs and $70 million to expand programs in underserved areas.

Recently, the state announced that 56 school districts will be awarded a combined $24 million of those funds to expand student access to “high-quality CTE programs.”

The efforts come at a time when significant opportunity gaps exist for rural school districts, especially in northern Michigan, that face challenges competing for state education grants, which are often time-consuming and require staff capacity they simply do not have.

State leaders and education advocates increasingly agree that the system is overly reliant on categorical grants and may need reform, suggesting more equitable funding formulas.

“The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) is working to identify districts in the state that need more access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and assist them in improving access to these important programs,” said Ken Coleman, spokesperson for the department.

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