In last week's update we gave some background and outlined the process that was followed at the Governor's Economic and Education Summits.  This week we want to share the information that was determined as the first outcome of the summits, future talent demand.

Future Talent Demand

At the Governor's Economic Summit, participants collaborated during the working sessions to discuss talent needs by region and industry. Participants were asked to consider the labor market data provided prior to the summit, the aggregated demand forecasting provided directly by companies in the region and industry, and their own expertise as business executives, workforce development professionals, and educators. Participants were then asked to work as groups of seven to 10 to capture what they felt all of the talent need in the region or industry is and will be, and to share their view of the three greatest occupational needs in that space.

There was general agreement from the employers participating in the summit on the job types that they will be seeking to fill over the next five years. Additionally, as would be expected, there was significant overlap between those job types forecasted to be in demand across Michigan's economic regions, and those forecasted to be in demand across the key industries in the state.

The results of the informed, open dialogue among business executives together with their partners in workforce development and education are consistent with the specific workforce planning analysis provided by companies ahead of the summit. Across the state, the 57 companies sharing their anticipated talent demand forecasted a need for over 2,000 engineers in the next five years. Additionally, this sample forecasted demand for 1,302 skilled trades' people, and 2,389 IT specialists. In total, the companies forecasted demand for over 13,000 openings by 2018 across a broad range job types.

The outcomes of the discussions of talent needs during the breakout sessions were also broadly consistent with third-party and Michigan's Department of Technology, Management and Budget forecasts. Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc. (EMSI) forecasts administrative and support services, professional services (including information technology), and specialty trades as leading growth industries between now and 2021. When taken together as a category, skilled trades occupations in Michigan are forecast to have a significantly greater number of annual openings than registered nurses, the single occupation with the greatest number of annual job openings in the state. The assessment of summit participants was also in agreement with the facts of recent job growth recovery: the manufacturing sector (the largest employer for engineers and skilled trades) and the administrative support sector have been the largest drivers of job creation since 2009.

The job types forecasted by summit participants to be in highest demand in Michigan over the next five years include:

• Skilled trades (including welders, tool and die fabricators, line workers, machinists, mechanical maintenance technicians, pipe fitters, designers, electricians, and mold makers)
• Engineers (including electrical, mechanical, electro-mechanical, manufacturing, chemical, robotics,   software, metallurgy and design)
• IT specialists (including software developers, application developers, database analysts and administrators, computer support specialists, and data communications analysts)
• Project management
• Administrative services
• Digital marketing
• Primary care physicians and registered nurses (in particular, specialty RNs)

While in general agreement, there are also interesting differences worth noting between the consolidated, consensus views of summit participants and EMSI labor market forecasts. While summit participants identified primary care physicians and registered nurses as a future talent need, for example, EMSI more broadly forecasted significant health care sector demand to include licensed practical and vocational nurses, as well as home health and personal care aides. Additionally, labor market data suggests significant growth in food services and certain professional services (e.g., accounting, human resources) that were not represented proportionately in the outcomes of the summit working sessions.

In the Upper Peninsula Region 1 Talent District, our talent district partners have produced the Upper Peninsula State of the Workforce Report for three consecutive years.  You can download the report HERE.

Many collaborators throughout the talent district, UPWard Initiative, UPEDA, UPCDC and others have been working in concert on many efforts to determine talent supply and demand challenges and to implement strategies to address those challenges.

Some of the strategies that are aimed primarily at K-12 and Post-Secondary Institutions include the following:

• Multiple STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Related Activities
• Distribution of Career Exploration Materials
• Job Fairs
• Career Preparation Activities
• Company Tours
• Job Shadowing
• Internships
• Classroom Presentations
• Teacher In-Service Presentations
• Aligning educational institutions with industry demand
• Lego Robotics Camps
• FIRST Robotics
• NEXT Robotics
• Jobs for America's Graduates
• Youth Entrepreneurial Activities
• Career Path System
• Michigan Works! Staff on-site at Educational Institutions
• Short Term Training Processes
• Recruitment of students for high demand training programs
• Michigan Works!, MI-SBTDC, PTAC, EDO Partnerships
• CTE Whitepaper and Subsequent Legislation
• Trailing Spouse Services - Upper Peninsula Trailing Spouse Network

Stay tuned to our Keeping You Connected emails for weekly updates including next week when we will share more about outcomes and expectations from the Governor's summits.