Inspiration for the next generation of mainstay employers may well come from the next generation of Michigan workers, or so hope organizers of the "Motivate Michigan" online competition.
The objective is to initiate creative ideas from incoming freshman or students enrolled in state colleges or universities to improve Michigan's economy. Through a just-ended submission process, teams and individuals submitted their ideas for business development. Students were prompted to complete their online submissions with a format that addresses challenges and potential solutions. For example: Problem statement -- Michigan is a beautiful place to live and visit, but people aren't coming anymore to see all the state has to offer. Proposed solution: create a "frequent visitors program" that awards credit points based on how much time and money visitors spend in the state. Expected outcome -- increased tourism revenue.
The ideas will be judged on creativity, originality, practicality and the potential economic impact on the state of Michigan. General public voting on the ideas will take place April 12-30. The winning idea will be developed into a project plan and presented to an appropriate owner for funding and support. Prizes are expected to be a $40,000 scholarship for first place, $25,000 for second and $15,000 for third. Sponsors of the competition include Comerica Bank, Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Meijer.
MI perspective: Whether or not the competition yields brilliant solutions for Michigan's future business base, the process involving students in the collective thought process and tapping their creativity can only help enhance their self-image and buy-in as rising stakeholders in the state economy.
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