Career Tech News
Summer camp registration opens Monday, April 15, at 9 a.m.!
Online registration for Char-Em ISD's five summer camps opens at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 15, 2024, at this link. This year's camps include options for students in grades kindergarten through 11th, including a new K-2 STEM class during Career Academy for Kids!...
Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates regional program receives state ‘Excellence in Practice’ Award
Char-Em ISD, Northwest Ed, Wexford-Missaukee ISD, Networks Northwest, partner to help students succeed in and after high school A Northwest Michigan regional program in local schools that prioritizes career and college readiness activities with middle and high...
Aviation Science & Technology program receives donations to support student flight training
ALANSON - The Aviation Science and Technology program, a Char-Em ISD Career and Technical Education offering hosted by Alanson Public Schools, is providing more students the chance to earn their pilots’ licenses in high school, thanks to a number of recent...
Career Tech to Careers: Irish Boat Shop with East Jordan grad Jason Dean
Jason Dean has some advice for high school students thinking about what’s next after graduation - keep an open mind about possible career paths. “I wasn’t thinking about going into a career of working on boats, but it sounded like fun and I gave it a shot, and I...
Char-Em ISD receives grant for Street STEM elementary technology from Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation
More young students in Char-Em ISD schools will have access to the latest technology in science, math, technology and engineering - aka STEM - thanks to a grant from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. The foundation awarded $7,500 toward the...
Career Tech to Careers: Dave Kring Chevrolet’s Quick Lube with Petoskey grad Landon Maltese
At a young age, Landon Maltese had an inkling he’d like to make a career out of working on vehicles. “My stepdad and I worked a lot on cars in my younger years. He had his own shop with a lift, so at a young age I was helping to work on his projects. At first I was...
Career Tech to Careers: Fletch’s Service Center with Petoskey grad Zane Myers
“If we could get more Zanes, that would be great.” The day after he graduated from Petoskey High School in June 2023, Zane Myers took an important first step into the real world by joining the Young Professionals Program, which paired young adults with local...
Career Tech to Careers: S&S Welding in Petoskey, with Caleb Cranick and Adam Jones
Two recent local high school graduates are fabricating their own bright futures behind the welding torch, working full-time positions at S&S Welding in Petoskey. Caleb Cranick, 19, a 2021 Pellston High School graduate, and Adam Jones,18, a 2023 Petoskey High...
Career Tech to Careers: Luke Kurburski at Birchwood Farms Golf and Country Club
If you’ve eaten a meal recently at Birchwood Farms Golf and Country Club in Harbor Springs, there’s a good chance that many of the finer details that make a meal delicious and memorable were prepped at the hands of Luke Kurburski. As the “garmo,” or pantry chef,...
Char-Em ISD Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program, staff receive state and national recognition for helping high school students prep for career and college
Behind the scenes at several local high schools, specialists work to help equip students with the skills they need to overcome barriers and find success in education, employment, and as community members. Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG) specialists have been in...
Chef Kaidence! Petoskey High School senior headed to culinary school to pursue cooking passion
Kaidence McNamara discovered a culinary community at Petoskey High School. The 18-year-old, soon-to-be graduate has dug deep into the Culinary Arts program and found the ingredients to propel her toward a future in professional cooking. “It’s so great to be in this...
CTE in the Spotlight: Derek Burnett and Van Dam Custom Boats
In the spring of 2017, Derek Burnett was preparing to graduate from Petoskey High School and wasn’t entirely sure about his future plans. He had always enjoyed woodworking and working with his hands, and had success in the building trades program at the high school...
Char-Em receives 2023 Innovative Leader Award for Char-Em Street STEM!
Lansing (MI), March 16, 2023 – The Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL) has named the recipients of its 2023 MACUL Annual Awards, as Michigan Educators from around the state earned the following honors: Innovative Leader Award, Innovative...
Soar! Alanson school’s aviation program receives grant to fund student pilot licenses
ALANSON - The Aviation Science & Technology program hosted by Alanson Public Schools, and housed at Pellston Regional Airport, recently received a generous grant to help pay for private pilot training for those students interested in earning their private pilot...
Plan, build, fly! Harbor Springs senior designs, prints his own drone
As far as hobbies go, Jeff Ramsay, a Harbor Springs High School senior, has one of the more unique ones: He enjoys working with and collecting 3D printers. For those not aware, 3D printers use computer-aided design (CAD) software to create three-dimensional objects...
Local high school aviation program helping to tackle the nationwide aviation industry shortage
PELLSTON - Airline delays and cancellations have become increasingly common recently as a nationwide and global pilot shortage continues to strain the airline industry. It’s projected that 14,500 pilots will be needed every year through 2030, along with tens of...
Harbor Springs freshman’s short horror film, Derailed, wins Compass College Film Festival award
Harbor Springs High School may be one of the most idyllic school settings in the state, but it has some scary stories lurking inside… in the form of a budding young filmmaker. Freshman Emma Spencer recently won a Best Cinematography award for her horror film short,...
Jim Rummer awarded Michigan’s 2023 Career Tech Education Administrator of the Year
When Jim Rummer began his career as Director of Career and Technical Education for Char-Em ISD 15 years ago, there were a handful of vocational education programs spread around the ISD’s 11 public school districts. CTE was just taking off and becoming recognized as...
Char-Em receives 2023 Excellence in Practice Award from state career tech office for Street STEM initiative
Char-Em Street STEM has been on a roll into local K-8 classrooms this school year, and now it has rolled into top honors at the state level with an Excellence in Practice award from the Michigan Office of Career and Technical Education. This new Char-Em ISD...
Rambler Sports Network’s alumni making a splash out in the real world!
Every Saturday during college football season, Randy Calcaterra can usually count on receiving at least a few texts from former students, reaching out from some pretty incredible vantage points. Many of them are helping to run productions of college football games...
Students take drones to the skies through Char-Em Street STEM
Alanson middle school 6th, 7th, and 8th graders had the opportunity earlier this week to try their hands at flying drones, during a visit from Char-Em Street STEM’s mobile STEM initiative. Using DJI Mini 2 drones, instructor Brandon Beltz taught the students how to...
Petoskey’s Tietjen twins finding career success as in-demand welders
When Petoskey twin brothers Paul and Mike Tietjen enrolled in the welding class offered at Pellston High School several years ago, they knew it could open the door to a well-paying career in the skilled trades. They both knew they weren’t interested in attending...
Fletch’s GMC Buick Audi with Thomas Simpson and Keegan Speer
Two long-time friends and 2022 East Jordan High School graduates recently began employment at Fletch’s GMC Buick Audi in Petoskey, working in the certified service center as technicians. Thomas Simpson and Keegan Speer both credit the skills they learned during...
Char-Em ISD launches new initiative recognizing students entering the workforce post-graduation
BOYNE CITY – A new initiative, Career Tech to Careers, is celebrating the decision of high school graduates to enter the workforce after earning their diploma – specifically those students whose high school careers included Career and Technical Education classes....
U.S. Marine, general aviation pilot introduced as new instructor for aviation career tech program
ALANSON – Former Marine helicopter and current general aviation pilot Duane Enos will be the new instructor of the Aviation Science and Technology course, housed at Alanson Public Schools with instruction at Pellston Regional Airport, beginning in the fall for the...
Industrial Magnetics Inc. with Caleb Boyer
On Dec. 6, 2021, Char-Em ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Caleb Boyer, a 2021 graduate of East Jordan High School, at Industrial Magnetics, Inc. (IMI) in Boyne City. Boyer joined the staff on Oct. 27, 21, as a welder working between 40-55...
Pellston Auto Repair with Dom Pelaccio
On Nov. 11, 2020, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Dom Pelaccio, a 2020 Pellston High School graduate. Pelaccio has started a career at Pellston Auto Repair, owned by Donn Juday. Pelaccio now works about 50-55 hours per week since starting...
Great Lakes Energy with TJ Wodek
On May 10, 2021, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with TJ Wodek, a 2020 graduate of Petoskey High School. Wodek has started a career with Boyne City-based Great Lakes Energy (GLE), as a first-step apprentice. He gained valuable experience...
Sky’s the limit for Harbor Springs drone program
February 2021 – Rob LaPoint’s drone class at Harbor Springs High School started four years ago as a way to show students the novice abilities of piloting unmanned aerial vehicles. Since then, it has grown to encompass so much more, opening up a sky’s-the-limit...
Courtney Streeter: From high school health occ to high-energy medical career
Dec. 2020 – When Courtney Streeter was a high school student at Charlevoix High School, she knew she’d have to work a bit harder than her peers to succeed. “School was hard for me,” said Courtney, now 21 and a recent graduate from North Central Michigan College’s...
Bader & Sons John Deere dealer with Nick Wilson
On Nov. 10, 2020, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Nick Wilson, a 2020 graduate of East Jordan High School. Wilson has started a career with Bader and Sons, an agricultural dealership selling John Deere equipment, parts and service with...
HARBOR SPRINGS EXCAVATING WITH ANDREW MOYER
On Oct. 14, 2020, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Andrew Moyer, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Moyer has started a career with Harbor Springs Excavating as a laborer. He was able to secure the position, which is full-time and...
WENTWORTH BUILDERS WITH JARED KORTMAN
On Sept. 24, 2020, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Jared Kortman, a 2020 graduate of Petoskey High school. Kortman, 18, has started a career as a builder with Wentworth Builders, of Harbor Springs. The job involves a number of skills...
GREAT LAKES ENERGY WITH CAID SCHROEDER AND HUNTER SPARKS
On Feb. 26, 2020, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with two recent local graduates at Great Lakes Energy’s (GLE) headquarters in Boyne City. Caid Schroeder and Hunter Sparks are now employed full-time as fiber fielders, working with the...
LANZEN, INC. WITH BRIAN FERRELL
On Nov. 11, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Brian Ferrell, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Ferrell has started a career as a machinist at Lanzen Inc. in Harbor Springs. Career tech classes that Ferrell took at Pellston High...
CORBLE BUILDERS, JACOB BATH
On Oct. 2, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Jacob Bath, a 2019 graduate of Petoskey High School. Bath has started a career as a builder with Corble Builders in Petoskey. The job involves a number of skills Bath learned during his CTE...
WALSTROM MARINE, RYAN MACGREGOR
On Aug. 2, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Ryan MacGregor, a 2019 graduate of Harbor Springs High School. MacGregor has started a career with Walstrom Marina on the waterfront in Harbor Springs, serving as a technician apprentice....
MACGREGOR PLUMBING AND HEATING, NOODIN CRAVEN
On July 24, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Noodin Craven, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Craven has started a career with MacGregor Plumbing and Heating as an apprentice installer. He was able to land the job – which is...
HARBOR SPRINGS EXCAVATING, CASE KILPATRICK
On July 17, 2019, ISD staff held a Career Tech to Careers signing event with Case Kilpatrick, a 2019 graduate of Pellston High School. Kilpatrick has started a career with Harbor Springs Excavating as a laborer. He was able to secure the position, which is...