MOUSSA KABA is a teen enrolled at Cornerstone Health High School which started as a joint effortmof Cornerstone Schools, Grand Valley State University and Detroit Medical Center to train more young people for healthier careers and address the growing need in that burgeoning jobs sector.
- Photo Courtesy CBS 62 / Paul Pytlowany

With seismic technology shifts and other changes sweeping through companies, schools and communities, what’s ahead for the state that put the world on wheels?

A big time talent gap as those changes have helped fuel a divide as many workers and companies in manufacturing, information technology, healthcare and engineering are in jeopardy with reports of over 63,000 jobs in Michigan unfilled right now.
If nothing is done, this situation will only worsen with baby boomers retiring, leaving more voids with fewer young people prepared for those jobs.
Add in the brain drain of young talent and what’s left is a talent disconnect that could threaten Michigan’s future.
Which is why leaders from across the state including Gov. Rick Snyder, Quicken Loans Founder Dan Gilbert, Amway President Doug DeVos, Ford Chief Operating Officer Mark Fields, DTE Energy CEO Gerard Anderson, UAW President Bob King, and Northern Michigan University President David Haynes -- are channeling new efforts and programs to address this problem.
CBS 62 will showcase some of those efforts in its latest “Eye On The Future” prime time TV special “Bridging Michigan’s Workforce Divide” airing Sunday, June 2 at 6:30 p.m. This program shows what is taking place in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Marquette that will help bridge that disconnect.
And it also shares insights from experts on what people and businesses need to know to be better prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
Snyder kicked off the conversation earlier this year with his two day economic summit in the Motor City that brought together students, educators, CEOs and business organizations to focus on it.
“We could lower our unemployment rate 1.5 percent by filling those 63,000 open positions,” Snyder said.
“We’re focusing as a state to say that the jurisdiction that does the best job of matching supply to talent will have a strong strategic advantage over other parts of the country and the world,” Snyder explained.
Among some of the programs highlighted in the fast paced “Bridging Michigan’s Workforce Divide” special:
Cornerstone Health High School which joins Grand Valley State University, Cornerstone Schools and Detroit Medical Center as they team up in a new charter school in Detroit that has a mission of helping its first class of 70 students gear up for careers in the burgeoning healthcare sector.
Detroit Chassis, an auto supplier on Detroit’s east side, had such a growing need for employees as its business grew that it turned to Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Community Ventures programs and hired dozens of workers who were considered unemployable.
It gave those workers a chance at a new life and also helped the company prosper.
Cliffs Natural Resources in the Upper Peninsula – like many companies across the state -- is addressing its talent needs by working with schools including Northern Michigan University and business organizations to find and train good workers.
With 50-percent of Cliffs’ workers retiring the past five years, it has become a focal point for the iron ore mining company.
There are lessons to be learned from Cliffs Natural Resources, Detroit Chassis and Cornerstone Medical High School.
“Bridging Michigan’s Workforce Divide” will also show viewers where the good paying jobs are right now in key Michigan markets.
Editor’s Note: Watch “Bridging Michigan’s Workforce Divide” 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 2 on CBS 62. Carol Cain is Senior Producer and Host of “Bridging Michigan’s Workforce Divide” and CBS 62’s “Michigan Matters.” She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

DETROIT – To prepare local athletes for the upcoming sports season, Henry Ford Hospital is hosting a sports conditioning program June 17-Aug. 19 that focuses on improving strength, speed, agility and flexibility.

Participants will train two days a week and can choose from two conditioning tracks – Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Workouts are two hours and can be isolated to the upper or lower body. It is geared for athletes ages 12 to 24.

The program is led by nationally certified and state licensed athletic trainers from Henry Ford’s Sports Medicine division.

“This program is a great way to stay in shape over the summer, refine your skills or return from injury,” says Henry Ford athletic trainer Kelly Weir. “Right now, during the offseason, is the best time to work on their weaknesses and improve their overall fitness.”

Cost is $175 per participant and includes an individualized evaluation and 15 customized workout sessions.

The program is being held at these locations:

Monday & Wednesday track
Henry Ford William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine, 6525 Second Ave, Detroit

Tuesday & Thursday track
Henry Ford Medical Center – Columbus, 29450 12 Mile Rd, Novi

To register or for more information, call (313) 972-4167. Deadline for registration is June 1.
 

The deadline to apply is May 31, 2013.

Nationwide -- The Shawn Carter Scholarship Fund (SCSF) provides individual grants ranging from $1,500 to $2,500 to every student who qualifies and reapplies yearly, from admission to graduation.

The grant can be used to cover tuition expenses and related supplemental educational expenses such as books, lab fees, travel and select costs of living. All Shawn Carter Scholars are required to "give back" by conducting community service and by serving as mentors to younger, aspiring Shawn Carter Scholars.

All high school seniors, undergraduate college students, and students at vocational or trade schools are eligible to apply. All applicants must be US citizens, 25 years old or younger, and have a minimum GPA of 2.0.

For more details and/or to apply, visit:
www.scholarshipsonline.org/2013/05/shawn-carter-foundation-scholarship.html

Autism is something we all need to respect – children, families, government, schools and employers will increasingly find autism to be a day-to-day reality. However, while autism is for life, it does not have to get in the way of life.
Approximately 15,000 children in Michigan are living with autism spectrum disorder. Nationally, the rate is at least 1 in 88 children, although some research suggests as many as 1 in 50 are on the spectrum.
With such a dramatic rise in known cases, America needs to get better at understanding, diagnosing and treating autism. Significant improvements are being made. The recently published Michigan Autism Spectrum Disorders State Plan is a major leap forward in making sure children and families can access the support they need.
At Starr Commonwealth, we’ve been supporting children with autism and other neurological differences for over 13 years. We operate Montcalm, Michigan’s only therapeutic boarding school, which treats children from across the U.S., many of whom are on the spectrum.
Our approach is to provide a positive, strength-based environment for children, where they can find their own path, developing academically and socially, with all the professional help they might need being made available.
We also provide in-home care for children and adults living with developmental disabilities, including autism. Our PsychSystems program is one of Michigan’s leading in-home care providers for people with developmental disabilities and can offer services tailored to an individual or family’s needs.
The approach at Starr is about being person-centered, recognizing that everyone has different needs. With autism, each case is unique, and that’s our starting point. We always see the person before the condition.
As our understanding of autism improves, society will find new and better ways to ensure that anyone living with autism can be happy, healthy and awesome. Michigan is making significant progress in this important area and we look forward to working with partners to maintain the momentum.
Find out more at starr.org/autism
Editor’s Note: Chuck Jackson, MA, is executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Starr Commonwealth. He is also executive director of StarrVista, a care management organization in Wayne County.