MICAREERQUEST 2025

Save the date! ~ May TBD, 2026 - The Ellison Place, Gaylord, MI

2025 What is MiCareerQuest? - Flyer

EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION (not yet open for 2026)

Exhibitor Tips for Creating a Fun & Engaging Exhibit

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES (not yet open for 2026)

SCHOOL REGISTRATION (not yet open for 2026)

2025 Busing Reimbursement Request - Schools

2025 Career Exploration Event Guide for Students

2025 MCQ Educator Guide for Teachers

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

MICAREERQUEST NORTHEAST IS...

...a hands-on career readiness event for middle and high school students created to inspire and direct young people to viable careers in high-demand occupations and to address the need for future talent.

MiCareerQuest is an employer-driven event. Employer Champions - assisted by Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium staff - drive employer participation and the creation of student activities/exhibits. There is no cost to students or exhibitors to participate in the event.

MiCareerQuest engages students through one-on-one conversations with professionals and hands-on activities that allow students to experience and hopefully, spark an interest in, the various careers. Regional ISDs help to drive student participation.

THE EVENT

Students will rotate through quadrants highlighting four industries: Manufacturing, Construction, Healthcare, and Technology. They will have appx 20 minutes per quadrant to participate in hands-on, interactive exhibits showcasing various occupations and tools-of-the-trade. Students engage in conversations with professionals who do these jobs every day, opening students' eyes to opportunities for great careers in Northeast Michigan. Participation in all quadrants is mandatory.

THE EXHIBITS

Employer Champions for each industry work with regional employers to develop interactive exhibits highlighting the industry and utilizing the tools-of-the-trade. Exhibits should be fun and engaging for ages 13-18, illustrating some aspect of the career they are highlighting.

Unlike career expos and job fairs, this event isn't meant to hand out corporate marketing materials or advertise job openings, but to introduce the workforce of tomorrow to opportunities they may never have known existed and get them excited about the industries.

Tips for Creating a Great Exhibit

SUPPORT FOR MICAREERQUEST

There is no cost to individual employers or students to participate in MiCareerQuest. The costs associated with hosting MiCareerQuest are covered by post-secondary educators and event sponsors who understand the importance of exposing young people to career opportunities in our region. In addition to industry funding and sponsorships, MiCareerQuest relies on in-kind donations and volunteers. MiCareerQuest offers a wide variety of opportunities for businesses and organizations to invest in the future of Northeast Michigan.

Your sponsorship of MiCareerQuest provides important, one-of-a-kind exposure to career opportunities to hundreds of students. Your support will affirm your commitment to preparing our youth for viable careers AND lifelong learning.

HISTORY

MiCareerQuest™ was created in 2015 by West Michigan Works!, Kent ISD, and the Construction Workforce Development Alliance (CWDA) in response to employers' need for future talent in Construction, Healthcare, Information Technology, and Manufacturing.

I cannot get 9,000 students into my company alone, but what I can do is collaborate with my peers and my competitors and my educators and I can showcase the industry, in a way that's far beyond anything that I can do as an individual.

- Laura Elsner, Workforce Development Manager, DeWys Manufacturing

MiCareerQuest was an amazing opportunity for students to discover fields they have never heard of, and being able to associate that work with a local company makes it much more "real" to them. A teen who thought she might have a career in mind now has a half-dozen possibilities.

- Teacher Participant

With an aging workforce on the brink of retirement, employers are concerned about their future workforce. We need to expose youth to a variety of occupations and career pathways now, so they're aware of the career possibilities that exist in our high-demand industries. MCQ allows students to talk with professionals, ask questions, use the tools of the trade. It gets them thinking about what kind of work might appeal to them and informs decisions impacting their future.

- Jacob Maas, Executive Director, West Michigan Works!

MICAREERQUEST NORTHEAST 2025

2025 EVENT RECAP

On May 15, 2025, MiCareerQuest™ Northeast introduced students to in-demand careers in northeast Michigan. The hands-on, career exploration event coordinated by Michigan Works! targeted 8th-12th grade students, offering interactive exhibits in construction, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and technology. The purpose of the event is to create awareness of the rewarding careers available throughout our region, many of which have a talent shortage today and are anticipated to have even greater demand in the future. This year the event was held at the Ellison Place in Gaylord, MI.

Over 1,100 students from 22 schools across the 11-county region (Alpena, Alcona, Cheboygan, Crawford, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle, and Roscommon) attended. The event featured 82 exhibiting organizations, showcasing more than 125 in-demand occupations. Over 60 volunteers from Michigan Works! agencies, partner organizations, local community groups, and businesses assisted with the event to make sure everything ran smoothly. More than 320 working professionals participated in the event, volunteering their time and eager to share their passion for their respective industries.

Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with statements such as:

“I had so much fun with my friends exploring different careers!"
"There were a lot of different careers and I didn’t know about most of them! I learned about new opportunities, like working on boat engines."
"I liked being able to do all the hands-on activities to help me decide what careers I find interesting."
"They explained things very well and each work station had things for me to do."
"I liked how we could interact with all sorts of career workers. It’s awesome how many people were there ready to answer our questions and keep us prepared!"
"I loved the interaction with each career station. It was so fun! I would love it if I could go again and do it again!"
"I enjoyed all the interactive stations and seeing the new things I can do after high school."
"I liked how interactive and passionate everyone was about their jobs!"
"I liked that we got to explore so many different careers and opportunities of what we could do with our future!"
"I loved that we could do all the hands-on things that kids don’t normally get to do."
"I liked that we were able to talk to so many people from different careers all in one place."

“The entire event was very engaging and welcoming. Students felt comfortable asking questions and participating in the activities.” - Andrea McKay, School Success, Alpena Schools

“Excellent event! Very well organized with so many opportunities. An excellent community resource – hats off to you!” - Missy Tallman, History Teacher, Johannesburg-Lewiston Schools

“Great opportunity for our students and we can’t wait to come back next year!” - Ben Wilson, Assistant Principal, Cheboygan Schools