On Wednesday, May 18, Romeo High School students were invited to an Industries Tour through Macomb County government facilities. About 25 11th and 12th graders, who are enrolled in the Law and Public Safety career pathway offered by the Academies at Romeo, attended the field trip.
At around 9:30 a.m. the students were dropped off at the Macomb County Administration Building, where they were greeted by Brian Jacks, HRLR Services Director. From there, they segued into learning about social work and human services careers in government from Ernest Cawvey, the director of Macomb Community Action.
Next, they learned more about employment in the justice system from Corporation Counsel Director John Schapka, and Office of the Public Defender Director Thomas Tompko, both of whom were able to touch on terms and topics discussed in Romeo High School classrooms.
The students were then led to the 16th Judicial Circuit Court building, where they were able to witness Macomb County Circuit Judge James Biernat Jr. in action as he presided over the sentencing of a defendant.
After lunch, the students were able to visit the Macomb County Communications and Technology Center (COMTEC), a state-of-the-art facility where the county provides 24/7 surveillance to assist first responders, residents and businesses. COMTEC is home to the Sheriff’s Office Centralized Dispatch, the Emergency Management & Communications Department, the Road Department Traffic Operations Center and the Information Technology Department and Data Center.
Romeo High students met with six professionals within these areas to discuss careers in Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, Information Technology and the Juvenile Justice Center. Questions were asked and laughs were exchanged between the students and the speakers, as they were given an overview of the importance of each position and what opportunities they brought to the table.
County Executive Mark Hackel also offered inspiration as he discussed his high school days and the path that led him to become the first-ever elected County Executive of Michigan's third most populated county.
Before they left, the students were able to see COMTEC’s 20’ x 50’ video wall and a quick glimpse at the county’s dispatch stations with 911 dispatchers in action.
The industry tour was part of Macomb County’s Fueling the Talent Pipeline initiative, which has a goal of strengthening our workforce and creating opportunities for future talent. To learn more about how your organization can help students explore career opportunities, please visit our website.
Rachel Dearing works for Macomb County Planning and Economic Development.