Schools Rule: Michigan students gain skills through hands-on program

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) - Business leaders are taking an interest in Michigan’s Career Tech programs, which offer hands-on experience to students to help prepare them for the workforce.

Eaton Regional Education Service Agency’s Construction Program is one such program that is providing students with valuable real-world experience.

Aiden Christensen and his classmates are building tiny homes from scratch, learning new skills that they can add to their toolbox.

“We are the future of this city. We’ll be stepping up for those job openings,” Christensen said. “A lot of it is hands-on, and we learn a lot better through that. Making mistakes, but fixing those mistakes and learning how to incorporate everything into our building.”

The construction program is in high demand in Michigan, and business leaders are taking notice.

“The dream is we actually can partner with them while they’re still in high school and that hopefully leads into an internship or externship, or they are able to work for the company in the future,” said Eaton RESA Superintendent Sean Williams.

Williams believes that building concrete connections with industry leaders helps students create their career path, narrowing down their options and potentially saving them money in the future.

For Christensen, his future is in construction, and he’s learning something new every day.

“The whole class really incorporates everything we need to know about building construction,” Christensen said.

While he still has some time before graduation, Christensen is well on his way to becoming a skilled construction worker, ready to step up and fill the job openings in his community.

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