Local Students Taking Part In Global Trade Mission 2011
On Thursday, March 3, approximately 120 high-school students will gather at Oakland Community College's Auburn Hills Campus to begin a three-day simulation of an authentic business experience.
Students will work directly with volunteers from local businesses to develop their unique international business plan.
This is the 13th year that Oakland Schools has participated in the Global Trade Mission.
Teamed with students from other districts, participants learn to use the skills of global citizenship, including problem solving, team dynamics, and creative thinking. One team will be selected to win the coveted Exportsmanship Award, in recognition of their team's skills. Presentations are made to a business panel who serve as evaluators and mock investors.
Through this extraordinary opportunity, awareness is being created among students about exciting careers in international business and in the following high-tech industries, emerging technologies and disciplines with the most promising future growth potential overseas.
They include cleantech and renewable energy, defense and homeland security, IT and cybersecurity, life sciences, medical devices, robots and automation.
Highlights of the event include international video conferences conducted with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Commerce and career exploration through engagement with business, education and government volunteers. The GTM is patterned from the national model of the Virtual Trade Mission and is designed to immerse students in an authentic business experience that allows collaboration with a diverse team to respond quickly and professionally to a global business challenge.
Over the course of the program, students acquire critical workplace skills, develop cultural diversity awareness, obtain techniques in problem solving and project management, explore emerging careers in Southeast Michigan, assume corporate roles to guide their work strategy and business presentation and gain an understanding of their own role as a member of the future work force.
Participating school districts in GTM 2011 include: Avondale, Bloomfield Hills, Ferndale, Huron Valley, Oakland Schools Technical Campus – Northwest, Oakland Schools Technical Campus – Southeast; Rochester, and Royal Oak.
