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High school students from Plymouth-Canton, Van Buren, Wayne-Westland and Plymouth Christian Academy had the opportunity to get a preview of a career of their choice when the Canton Chamber of Commerce held its first annual Career Showcase on Tuesday, October 22 at seven participating businesses throughout Wayne County. The companies that participated in the showcase included Canton Community Television, Canton Public Library, Spring Engineering, St. Joseph Mercy Health System, UNISYS, Westland Shopping Center and Woodlands of Van Buren. |
 Students at St. Joseph Hospital, learn about careers in health sciences. |
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Chris Lajoy of the Canton Chamber of Commerce and the Lajoy Group, said students were introduced to careers that directly coincided with the seven career pathways developed from the Michigan Department of Career Development (MDCD). The careers that were featured included television station manager, computer network specialist, skilled trades, nursing, engineering, marketing and sales positions.
“The idea of a Career Showcase originated from Greenville, MI which previously hosted three successful showcases and thought this would benefit students in Wayne county as well,” said Betty Bloch, coordinator of career preparation for Plymouth-Canton Schools. “We want students to learn what goes on in the real world and have some idea of their career choice and what it entails.” “Many students don’t know what they’re interested in and it’s important to speak with professionals that are currently in the field,” said Gary Copenhaver, staff engineer for Unisys. “The Career Showcase gives students an opportunity to witness a real world work setting and understand what they learn in school has application. We want students to also realize they have many options in achieving their career goals.” |
 Gary Copenhaver (center) demonstrates industrial design to students (far left) Jacob Laginess and (second from left) Matt Lewis, while Tim Kraft (second from right) and Mike Kiplinger (far right) from Unisys assist. |
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“After visiting St. Joseph Hospital, I’m interested in becoming a nurse,” said Laura Schulz, Plymouth-Canton freshman. “I like the one-on-one interaction with patients and I enjoy helping people.” “This was a great opportunity because it exposed me to various fields in the nursing profession,” said LaWanda Smith, Belleville junior. “Career Showcase organizers hope to make this event larger by including eighth graders and high school teachers from the Plymouth-Canton School District,” said Lajoy also a member of the SEMCA Workforce Development Board. “This will help students get acquainted with career pathways earlier and also encourage teachers to help students learn about emerging career opportunities.” |
 Students learn about the different types of radiology that nurses can specialize in. |
| “Our vision for the Career Showcase is to be a vehicle for Career Pathways and also spread the word about the Career Showcase statewide by making a CD ROM available for surrounding districts to use,” said LaJoy. “We want to make it transportable from community to community so they don’t have to reinvent the wheel.” |  Students were given a tour of the CAT scan lab. |
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