Every year, the month of May is known as “Professional Trades Month” in the state of Michigan.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement official on May 8, 2024, hoping to highlight high-wage, in-demand career opportunities for the people of Michigan.
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Whitmer said in May 2024 that there are more than 520,000 trade jobs in the state, and about 45,500 yearly openings projected from now to 2030.
Whitmer’s release said the annual observance would honor hard-working Michigan tradespeople and encourage students and adults to explore career opportunities in the trades.
“Professional trades workers build and maintain the infrastructure that ensures Michiganders have clean water, reliable energy, safe places to live and work, and smooth roads to travel on,” Whitmer said. “Careers in the professional trades are paths to the middle class for so many people and offer economic security to workers and their families. Since I took office, we have expanded paths to these good-paying, in-demand jobs that require little or no debt. Let’s keep working together to support professional trades workers and ensure everyone can ‘make it’ in Michigan.”
“Hardworking Michiganders in professional trades careers earn a good living while doing jobs that benefit their families and communities,” said Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin. “Professional Trades Month is an excellent opportunity to help more Michiganders understand the benefits of these high-skill, high-demand careers, helping us expand access to pathways that lead to economic prosperity and brighter futures.”
Businesses across the state need highly skilled workers in agriculture, construction, education, energy, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, manufacturing, mobility, outdoor recreation, and many more fields.
Many of those careers don’t require four-year degrees, but focus on credentials, certificates, on-the-job training, and registered apprenticeships.
“We have a generation entering the workforce whose career aspirations have been impacted by the pandemic and gig economy,” LEO’s Office of Employment and Training Director Stephanie Beckhorn said. “They are looking for affordable, meaningful opportunities that offer flexibility and independence, and a career in professional trades delivers on all counts. With a relatively low barrier to entry, more flexible work schedules and enormous demand for their expert skills, a career in the professional trades can be empowering and rewarding.”
Click here to read Whitmer’s full announcement from May 8, 2024.
