Career Exploration StoryMap
Careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
What is the MiSTEM Career Exploration StoryMap?
The MiSTEM Career Exploration StoryMap is a spatial tool that combines interactive maps, text, and other multimedia content for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) career awareness, exploration, and development for students, parents, adult job seekers, and the community. The StoryMap will function as a statewide database and tool to visualize and access workforce data in a unique and useful way.
Designed to communicate the physical location of business partners and industry clusters in Michigan, users will have the tools to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities to make better career decisions as students and adults prepare for higher education, credentialing, and the workforce.
The map will highlight:
- high-wage and in-demand careers
- apprenticeship and internship opportunities
- industry cluster data
How to use the maps
In this map, you can zoom in on an area by clicking on the + button in the bottom right hand corner. Holding the clicker down on the map will allow you to move the map in different directions. Focus on a county, a town, or a street to see how many STEM careers are in the area.
When clicking on a colored dot, a pop-up window will appear sharing the name of the business, the address, main type of work, phone number, and the website, if available. You can click on the website for a closer look at the company, who they are, and what they do.
Pop-Up Window with Company Information
Note: Sometimes when you click on a point, it is possible that several points will lie within the same area. The tab found on either the bottom right or the top right, i.e. 1 out of 5, indicated that there is a total of 5 points to be explored.
Pop-Up Window with Multiple Companies
Legend
Counties
Resources
The career outlook publication for East Michigan provides multiple lists of in-demand occupations through 2030 by education and training requirements, and highlights the most in-demand STEM occupations for each of Michigan's Prosperity Regions.
The Michigan Hot 50 Jobs highlights high-demand, high-wage careers that show a favorable mix of long-term job growth, projected annual job openings, and median wages through 2030.
Pure Michigan Talent Connect is a launch pad for new jobs, careers and talent. It is a tool connecting Michigan’s job seekers and employers and serves as a central hub linking all public and private stakeholders who support Michigan’s workforce. Pure Michigan Talent Connect serves as the State’s labor exchange system.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment & Training (LEO-E&T) and partners are proud offer an online career planning tool to help increase the number of Michigan residents with high-quality, in-demand degrees and credentials by providing information to students to make informed choices about educational and career options. Pathfinder presents current Michigan labor market information, longitudinal wage data and institutional data and metrics.
Professions that are listed for STEM Occupations on O’NET require education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The O*NET Program is the nation's primary source of occupational information. Valid data are essential to understanding the rapidly changing nature of work and how it impacts the workforce and U.S. economy. From this information, applications are developed to facilitate the development and maintenance of a skilled workforce.
Agriculture
Agribusiness has a broad range of in-demand careers that require STEM skills. Career focus areas at businesses in West Michigan include animal systems, plant systems, agribusiness systems, food products and processing systems, biotechnology systems, environmental service systems, natural resource systems, agricultural education, and structural and technical systems. Careers may involve operating advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, monitoring the health of animals, or designing new products and packaging. In-demand jobs in this area include:
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing
- Chemists
- Food Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
- Industrial Maintenance Mechanics
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Cargo and Freight Agents
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Drivers
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers
For more information about this industry click link below:
Construction
The construction businesses highlighted in STEM meet a multitude of services needs for local communities. Services can include commercial building, residential building, servicing hospitals, schools, government agencies, local business, and more. Businesses in the industry are hands-on with projects from the planning and design phase, to the final completion of the project. Businesses in the area have also put an emphasis on technology with the incorporation of virtual reality, drones for surveying, upgraded equipment, safety technology and much more. The construction industry offers a variety of entry points and great career pathways into the industry regardless of educational status.
In-demand jobs in this area may include:
- Equipment Operators and Heavy Equipment Operators
- Project Managers, and Estimators
- Civil Engineers and Mechanical Engineers Architects
- Electricians and Maintenance Electricians
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Service Plumbers
- Utility Locators, Aerial Lineman, and Installers
- Cabinet Makers, Woodworkers, and Carpenters
- Construction Laborers and General Laborers
For more information about this industry click link below:
Education
Energy
The energy sector runs on STEM skills. The energy sector outperformed the rest of the economy in job creation, employing 6.8 million people and adding over 26,000 jobs in 2019.[1] As the sources and methods used to generate energy change, STEM will be an essential foundation of that transformation. Across the country, people in STEM fields are working to reduce carbon emissions, create systems to recycle solar panels and plastics, clean water sources, and solve many other important problems facing our world today. STEM professionals are also depended on when it comes to designing, building, installing, and maintaining many of the advanced sources of alternative energy used today, including wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels. As the demand for these types of energy sources continues, so too will the demand for STEM skills.
In-demand jobs in this area may include:
- Construction Laborers
- Control and Valve Instrallers and Repairers
- Electrical Engineers
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
- Electricians
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Work
- Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Power Plant Operators
- Refuse and Recycling Material Collectors
Careers in STEM Series: Energy Lauren Westerman
For more information about this industry click the link below:
Finance
The financial sector is undergoing rapid transformation due to technology. Going forward, STEM skills will be essential across the financial sector, from banking and accounting to financial analysis. Improvements in data processing have already led to a surge of smart analytics and data science techniques being integrated across the finance sector, while artificial intelligence and other technologies stand to automate traditionally repetitive tasks in accounting, banking, and other financial services. Meanwhile, finance and technology are increasingly being blended together with user-friendly interfaces to create fintech products such as Mint, the Cash App, and countless others. Students considering entering the finance sector must have a strong grasp of the core STEM skills underpinning these technologies. Possible careers include:
- Accountant
- Banking
- Budget Analyst
- Credit Analyst
- Data Analytics
- Data Science
- Financial Anaylst
- Financial Compliance
- Financial Manager
- Fraud Investigator
- Personal Financial Advisor
Healthcare
Many health care careers have a heavy emphasis on STEM skills. You can find health career positions in organizations of all sizes, from a traditional hospital setting, to dedicated outpatient offices, to meeting patients where they are at their homes or places of work. Organizations such as dental offices, counseling centers, and community health centers are also included in the health care industry. Health care workers often work face-to-face with patients, however there are a multitude of important roles behind the scenes in places like laboratories and administrative offices as well. In demand jobs in this industry include:
- Clinical, Counseling, and School Psychologists
- Community Health Workers
- Dental Laboratory Technicians
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers
- Medical Assistants
- Pharmacy Technicians
- Physical Therapists
- Phlebotomists
- Registered Nurses
- Surgical Technologists
Commonly used tools in this industry include:
- Needles
- Orthopedic Devices
- Microscopes
- Surgical Lasers
- Syringes
Commonly used pieces of technology in this industry include:
- Appointment Scheduling Software
- Computer Based Training Software
- Diagnostic and Procedural Coding Software
- Information Retrieval or Search Software
- Medical Health Information Software
For more information about this industry click link below:
Industry Quick Facts:
- 10,000+ STEM graduates awarded annually
- A 10-year job growth rate of 27%, outpacing the national average by 11%
- 428 health science establishments in West Michigan and 83 medical device manufacturers
- 4,000+ health and medical science degrees granted annually
Information Technology
Technology is transforming the way people live, work and play. Information Technology (IT) is the fastest growing industry and job creator in the world. The IT sector includes companies that produce software, hardware, and companies that provide internet or related services. The United States has the most advanced software and IT services industry in the world. More than 40 percent of the $5 trillion global IT market is in North America, primarily the United States. The industry accounts for $1.8 trillion of U.S. value-added GDP and 12.2 million jobs. Every industry uses technology and there are a broad range of jobs that are considered technology related. Examples of careers include:
- Software Engineer
- Computer Scientist
- Information Architect
- Web Designer
- Software Tester
- Project Manager
- Data Scientist
- Data Analyst
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- UI/UX Designer
- Help Desk Support
- Installation technicians
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Chief Information Security Officer
- Technical Recruiter
- Computer Science Teacher
For more information about this industry click link below:
Manufacturing
The Greater Grand Rapids region is home to one of the nation's largest and most diverse manufacturing sectors. We are national leaders in plastic, biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, production technology, automotive, office furniture, aerospace and more.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, is "The most successful intensive manufacturing city in America" - The Economist
Industry Quick Facts:
- More than 141,300 advanced manufacturing jobs in West Michigan
- 2,535 advanced manufacturing establishments
- A job growth rate of 29.1% from 2011-2020, significantly outpacing the national rate of 7.6%
- 130+ international manufacturing companies
Manufacturing currently accounts for 19% of all jobs in the region and remains the heart of Greater Grand Rapids' economy. In a 2020 study of 'Cities with the Most Manufacturing Jobs,' the Grand Rapids-Kentwood MSA was found to have the most manufacturing jobs per capita of any large metropolitan area in the U.S. The city's concentration of manufacturing jobs amounts to twice that of the national average.
For more information about this industry click link below:
