GRAND MARAIS, Mich. (WZMQ) – Students in one of Michigan’s smallest school districts are getting a big boost when it comes to career training.
Burt Township Schools in Grand Marais, under the guidance of Marquette-Alger RESA, has secured a special grant, allowing students to explore high-demand careers close to home.
For the 38 students enrolled at Burte Township Schools in Grand Marais, career and technical education opportunities are about to expand in a major way. The district has been selected to receive a Section 61-V grant, a state-funded program designed to help schools develop and strengthen career and technical education, or CTE programs.
“Not every student needs a four-year degree to be successful in the future, and we need to meet students where they are and what they want to do,” said Burt Township School Superintendent Kathleen Gould.
School leaders say the funding will allow students to gain hands-on experience and explore career pathways in fields that are in high demand across Michigan, including skilled trades, technology, engineering, and natural resources.
“Career and technical education is a direct path to the future. It’s a direct path to the community, hopefully retaining talent to help continue to keep the Upper Peninsula thriving,” said Erich Ziegler, Director of CTE Programming at Marquette-Alger RESA.
The grant is especially significant for a small rural district like Grand Marais, where access to specialized career training programs can be limited by geography and enrollment size.
“We are geographically isolated, and so we have to bring as many opportunities for students, and also just options for them to understand what the future holds for them,” said Gould.
For Burke Township Schools, the investment represents an opportunity to prepare students for future employment while helping meet workforce needs across the Upper Peninsula and beyond.
“We have a lot of support from the community as far as moving into more trades and kind of giving students an opportunity outside of just the college experience.
Five other school districts from across the U.P. also received 61-V grants.
