This story was written by Randiah Camille Green and created in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. It is part of a year-long series focusing on programs and pathways to good paying jobs and careers in Detroit.
Jake Wigginton always knew he wanted to work in a skilled trade, but he wasn’t sure how to get a good job after graduating from high school. So he enrolled in the Macomb Community College (MCC) Michigan Apprenticeship Program Plus Industrial Readiness program, known as Map+, and upon completion he landed a job as an apprentice instantly.
Macomb’s Map+ program is a semester-long pre-apprenticeship in the construction and manufacturing fields that is offered at no cost to students. They earn nine college credits and an Industrial Readiness Certificate, culminating in a networking fair with industry employers. This is where Wigginton landed an apprenticeship with the viscosity and temperature control company, Saint Clair Systems.
“It was a little bit challenging because I was experiencing new stuff, like how to solder. But it was a fun challenge. And most of my instructors have done their job for like 30 years, so they know what they’re talking about,” Wigginton said. “Those classes helped me a lot. I’ve learned a lot that has dipped into my work and as I’m working, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I learned this in class.’”…