Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium recently wrapped up its 2025 Career Readiness and Exploration Summer Program, designed to equip youth ages 14 to 17 with essential employability skills and hands-on career preparation. Held from June 16 to July 10, the four-week program gave nine students from Northeast Michigan the tools they need to confidently enter the workforce and begin their summer work experiences.

Throughout the program, participants created professional portfolios, explored various career pathways, and developed leadership, communication, and teamwork skills. They received guidance on resume writing, participated in mock interviews, and completed both Career Interest and Career Skill Inventory Surveys to better understand their strengths and goals.

One standout component of this year’s program was the Financial Literacy training. Students dove into practical life skills such as budgeting, check writing, banking basics, financial aid for education, and how to avoid fraud–topics that sparked unexpected excitement and engagement.

Participants shared their takeaways in a press release from Michigan Works!

“I learned a lot of different types of fraud,” one teen said. “I think that was the most interesting thing for me.”

“I learned how to write a check properly,” another participant added. “I found the writing practice helpful because I will definitely need to use that in the future.”

“I learned how to write out and plan a budget,” another added. “Definitely something I’ll use.”

“I found all of the information about scholarships helpful because I graduate next year, so I’ll need to start looking into that soon,” said another participant.

By the end of the program, two teens had already transitioned into their summer work experiences. As always, the Career Readiness and Exploration Summer Program continues to be a valuable launchpad for youth looking to build confidence, skills, and a strong foundation for their future careers, the release stated.