FOX 2 Detroit
March 29, 2024

Meghan Schmidbauer, Senior Director of Detroit Drives Degrees at the Detroit Regional Chamber, was a recent guest on FOX 2 Detroit to discuss the expansion of the Detroit Area Talent Fund, which provides qualified college and post-secondary students with emergency financial assistance to overcome unexpected obstacles disrupting their educational progress .

Watch the full interview below.

Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
April 4, 2024

To spotlight the state’s growing need for talent and programs and services in place to help and engage residents in employment, training and educational opportunities, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer encourages Michiganders to explore the many career pathways available to them during April’s celebration of Career Exploration and Awareness Month.

“We want every Michigander to know they can find a good-paying job in whatever field they choose right here in Michigan,” said Gov. Whitmer. “During Career Exploration and Awareness Month, I urge every Michigander, whether they are a young student mapping out their future, re-entering the workforce, or considering a change to their current profession, to utilize the resources available to them to get started on their next step. Together, let’s help every Michigander ‘make itâ€?in Michigan.”

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics have created valuable resources to help Michiganders follow career and labor trends. These include Michigan’s Hot 50 report, which covers high-wage, in-demand careers that show a favorable mix of long-term job growth, projected annual job openings, and median wages; Michigan’s Career Outlook report, which provides multiple lists of in-demand occupations by education and training requirements; and Regional Career Outlook reports, which provide a breakdown of career outlook data in each of the state’s 10 regions.

“At LEO, we understand the importance of meaningful employment when it comes to quality of life,â€?said Director Susan Corbin. “That’s why our work with the Center for Data and Analytics is so critical â€?it’s part of our all-access approach to ensure Michiganders of all ages have access to the information, resources and opportunities they need to pursue rewarding careers in today’s high-demand, high-wage industries.â€?/p> To learn more about the careers and education needed to land these jobs, Michiganders are encouraged to check out Pathfinder, LEO’s career exploration tool. This free online resource helps users create an individualized career roadmap and provides information to students of all ages, parents, school staff and career counselors to make informed choices about educational and career options.

“To help Michiganders secure long-term career success and financial independence, it’s essential they have access to the tools they need to explore pathways they may not have considered,�said Stephanie Beckhorn, director of LEO’s Office of Employment and Training. “By allowing individuals to create personalized career roadmaps, Pathfinder presents valuable information about career opportunities of today and tomorrow, helping prepare each Michigander for a successful and rewarding future.�/p> Throughout the state, the Michigan Works! network helps Michiganders of all ages explore and pursue career opportunities.

“There are a wide variety of high-wage, high-demand career paths currently available throughout Michigan. Whether you’re looking to join the workforce for the first time, or you are a seasoned employee looking for a change of pace, we can help you identify the career or training path that’s right for you,�said Shelly Keene, executive director of Michigan Works! West Central. “As part of Career Exploration and Awareness Month, our organization is hosting our annual MiCareerQuest West Central event, which provides hands-on career exploration activities for roughly 1,500 ninth-grade students throughout our region. This one-day event provides students the opportunity to talk with real-world professionals about career paths available in our area to potentially spark their future education and career interests.�/p>

Information and a video spotlighting the April 23 MiCareerQuest event is available on Michigan Works! West Central’s website.

Individuals who are currently seeking job opportunities should visit Pure Michigan Talent Connect, where they can find nearly 90,000 active openings.

Career Exploration and Awareness Month also supports the recently-announced Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan, which aims to build upon the state’s existing successes in workforce development by providing clear, shared strategies to create jobs and support workers and employers. View the full Statewide Workforce Plan on the Michigan Workforce Development Board web page.

LEO is driving creative and effective solutions for Michigan’s workforce, serving more workforce participants than any other state in the Midwest. Nationally, Michigan ranks #1 in credential attainment for adults, #2 in helping adults get employed and #6 for registered apprenticeships.

Visit Michigan.gov/AllAcess to learn more about supports available to connect Michiganders and businesses with the opportunities and unique resources they need to build a better future.

On March 21, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) announced the formation of a new task force to better understand how insecurity with basic needs is affecting Michigan’s college students and what actions position students for success.

Congratulations to Meghan Schmidbauer, Senior Director of Detroit Drives Degrees at the Detroit Regional Chamber, who joins the task force’s Advisory Committee, as well as Wytrice Harris, Senior Director of Student Success and Partnerships at the Detroit Regional Chamber, on her appointment to the task force.

Learn more about MiLEAP and the new task force in the news release below.

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March 21, 2024

LANSING, Mich. â€?Today, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) announced that it has assembled a task force to better understand how insecurity with basic needs is affecting Michigan’s college students and what actions position students for success. The task force will look at how issues differ across regions and campuses, what interventions are helping, and identify policy change so that financial insecurity is not a barrier to student’s pursuit of educational goals, including completion of a degree or credential.

More than ever, postsecondary education is critical to economic mobility. Jobs requiring skilled employees today, as well as jobs on the horizon, demand greater education and training. Increasingly, the best jobs require more than a high school diploma.

MiLEAP partnered with the Michigan Community College Association and Temple University’s The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs to create the task force, with The Hope Center being hired, through funding from the Joyce Foundation, to be the research and facilitation partner.

Over the course of a year Task Force members are being asked to participate in four meetings where they will:

• Develop, review and recommend policies and actions in the areas of food insecurity, housing insecurities, health and wellness and digital equity.
• Review research on basic needs and ensure recommendations meet state needs in urban and rural settings and across different types of populations and identify gaps and solutions in the higher education ecosystem that the state can learn from.
• Review approaches taken in other states to dramatically reduce barriers for college students through enhanced supports for students in need and identify needed adaptions for Michigan.
• Contribute to a report for the state on recommendations for intervention and policy opportunities.

The leaders that have joined the Task Force are:

• Dr. Sara Abelson, Assistant Professor, Temple University School of Medicine and Senior Director of Education and Training, The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs
• Duane Bedell, President, Bay Mills Community College
• Lina Blair, Dean of Student Life, Ferris State University
• Lisa Brewer-Walraven, Director, Office of Child Development and Care, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential
• Dr. Charles Cotton, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Western Michigan University
• Tracye Y. Davis, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Henry Ford College and Assistant Director Performance, Development, and Engagement (Human Resources)
• Sarah Desmarais, Senior Advisor of Economic Stability Operations and Programs, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services,
• Dr. Darryl Gardner, Assistant Vice President for Student Success, Wayne State University
• Wytrice Harris, Senior Director, College Success and Partnerships, Detroit Regional Chamber
• Dr. Charles Lepper, President, Grand Rapids Community College
• Jessica Robinson, Digital Inclusion Manager, Michigan High-Speed Internet Office
• Precious Miller, Director of Basic Needs and Belonging, Michigan Center for Student Success, Michigan Community College Association
• Coco Moulder, Executive Director, Pontiac Promise Zone
• Michelle Richard, Acting Director, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential
• Joe Saur, Education Analyst, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, Michigan Department of Military and Veteran Affairs
• Jacob J. Schuler, Assistant Dean of Student Life & Residential Experience, The University of Olivet
• Bob Sheehan, Chief Executive Officer, Community Mental Health Association of Michigan
• Alejandra Solorzano, Michigan Engagement Manager, Benefits Data Trust
• Megan Spitz, Senior Community Development Specialist, Office of Housing Strategies, Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
• Sarah Szurpicki, Director, Office of Sixty by 30, Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential

Learn more about MiLEAP and the Office of Sixty by 30 at Michigan.gov/Sixtyby30.

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Updated April 10, 2024.

The application deadline has been extended to Monday, April 22.

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The Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Drives Degrees (D3) are pleased to announce the launch of the Detroit Regional Postsecondary Student Advisory Fellowship (PSAF). This program centers students’�voices in D3 decision-making by providing a year-long paid experience for postsecondary students interested in education and workforce access and policy conversations in the Detroit Region. Fellows have exclusive access to professional development and networking opportunities with their cohort as well as education and business industry leaders. A variety of virtual and in-person opportunities will be available, including professional networking events, roundtable discussions, campus and employer tours, and more. All events will be hosted or sponsored by the Chamber or its member organizations. By the end of the program year, Fellows will increase their confidence in navigating education and business decision-making processes, enjoy a more robust and diverse professional network, understand current issues in the regional postsecondary and workforce landscape, and possess the skills to advocate for access, equity, and inclusion in various environments.

Eligibility

To be eligible, Fellows must be enrolled or plan to enroll at a postsecondary institution (apprenticeship, trade school, community college, or university) in the Detroit Region or have a permanent Detroit-area address and be willing to commit to year-long participation.

Interested students can learn more and complete an application here by April 15. Application review begins in mid-April, with decisions announced in early May.

If you are a Chamber member organization interested in postsecondary student voices in your next meeting or would like to host an event for students, contact Amber Greenway Neher, Director of Student Success and Postsecondary Partnerships, at 248.376.5759 or aneher@detroitchamber.com.

March 14, 2024

• Program helps qualified students with emergency financial assistance.
• Phase one of the program supported nearly 1,300 Detroit students.
• Kresge Foundation, Ford Fund, Skillman Foundation and Michigan Central join Rocket Community Fund as funders.

• The funds will help the Chamber expand its Career Exposure and Pathways Programs for high school, college students, and recent graduates.

DETROIT (March 7, 2024) �The Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation received a $100,000 local impact grant from the Deloitte Foundation* to support critical career exposure and workforce pathway efforts in the Detroit Region. The funding will support the implementation of work-based learning programs in industries like information technology, professional services, advertising and marketing, health care and health tech, and financial services and banking.

“The Deloitte Foundation’s investment in this work through their generous grant reinforces the importance of collaborating with organizations to help bolster the Region’s talent pipeline and mitigate barriers to career-making opportunities for students and professionals,�said Christi Taylor, the Chamber’s Senior Director of Talent Initiatives. “For the Detroit Region to thrive and compete in the 21st-century economy, these career exposure and skill-building opportunities are critical to preparing the next generation for the jobs of the future.�/p> The Chamber will apply this funding to the following initiatives:

Career Exposure and Pathways

The Chamber’s career exposure work focuses on three audiences: racially and ethnically diverse high school students, college students, and recent college graduates. These audiences will have access to webinars and other virtual workshops focused on professional skills and careers in the Detroit Region. For this initiative, the funds will support:

• Expansion of the Chamber Foundation’s virtual and in-person Career Exposure and Pathways programs.
• 1,000 student participants who will be introduced to the possibility of careers in business, accounting, and STEM.
• Program design and career exposure activity planning and execution.

Regional Work-Based Learning Strategy

The Chamber is looking to build a more effective structure that aligns regional work-based learning initiatives and corporate collaborations into a cohesive career exposure program. For this initiative, the funds will support:

• A project to identify national best practices around work-based learning and local initiatives that already exist in the region.
• A framework for a more aligned and efficient regional strategy that defines high-demand and well-paying jobs and the specific skills, experiences, and common pathways to gain entry in these fields, particularly for information technology and business.
• Efforts to determine how employers across the region can more efficiently connect with students for career exposure, mentorship, internships, and job opportunities.

Employers interested in supporting these initiatives can contact Christi Taylor at ctaylor@detroitchamber.com.

* Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation.

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About the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation
The Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to growing economic prosperity in the Detroit Region. Supporting the Detroit Regional Chamber’s policy priorities, the Foundation works to promote and develop initiatives focusing on increasing access to talent for businesses, growing key industry sectors like automotive and mobility, advancing racial justice and economic equity, developing leaders, and other regional imperatives. Learn more at gaijindensetsu.com. For more information, please visitâ€?a href="//gaijindensetsu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gaijindensetsu.com.

Four postsecondary education leaders have been added to the 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference agenda.

Wayne State University’s Kimberly Espy, Michigan State University’s Kevin Guskiewicz, University of Michigan’s Santa J. Ono, and Ferris State University’s Bill Pink will join a panel to discuss their institutions’ efforts to address the talent needs of Michigan employers at a time when it is critical to develop solutions to grow the state’s talent pipeline.

 

Detroit Free Press
Feb. 13, 2024
Dana Afana

Detroit launched eight new technology hubs to provide residents access to internet and digital literacy training across various neighborhoods.

Tech hubs must provide free Wi-Fi, offer basic digital literacy training software and have devices available for residents to use, such as laptops. Detroit’s digital divide has been on the city’s priority list to bridge the gap between residents with access to internet and hardware and those without.

“We have 220,000 residents that are at or below poverty. It is so important. If we don’t provide them with the basic digital literacy skill training that they need, they’ll never skill up for those opportunities for job placement and, in turn, we want to make sure we are offering IT workforce development and training in each of these tech hubs,” Christine Burkette, digital equity and inclusion director, said Monday at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan Dick and Sandy Dauch Campus, which is one of eight hubs.

The city has six more tech hubs pending approval. Burkette’s goal is to have five hubs in every council district. Hubs will have signs posted indicating they’re certified by the city of Detroit. Hubs are assessed to determine whether they provide a device loaner program, IT workforce training, wheelchair accessibility, tech support and English language resources. Organizations can register online to operate a certified tech hub at detroitmi.gov/digitalequity.

“We all have heard about to get to digital divide, and with the pandemic, we realized more and more that we must have equitable, fast high-speed internet. More importantly, the devices also have to be available,” Deputy Mayor Todd Bettison said.

Comcast’s Lift Zones make up three of the first eight hubs. The city spent about $535,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money for upgrades to its recreation centers, which serve as hubs.

The eight hubs, located in an online interactive map, include:

• Dick and Sandy Club of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, 16500 Tireman Ave.
• Adams Butzel Recreation Center, 10500 Lyndon St.
• Comcast Lift Zone at SAY Detroit Play Center, 19320 Van Dyke Ave.
• Stoudamire Wellness Center at Eastside Community Network, 4401 Conner St.
• Comcast Lift Zone at Detroit Housing Commission Envision Center, 1047 E. Canfield St.
• Roberto Clemente Recreation Center, 2631 Bagley St.
• Patton Recreation Center, 2301 Woodmere St.
• Detroit Association of Black Organizations, 12048 Grand River Ave.

Councilmembers Coleman Young II and Fred Durhal III praised Burkette and others for pushing the initiative. “Because of the dedication and hard work of what the people in this room have accomplished, we can say we are working toward a more equitable and inclusive city,” Young said. “We’re closing the racial divide, we’re closing the digital divide. More importantly were closing the humanity divide for Detroiters â€?never again will Detroiters be left out of power for tomorrow.” Durhal added that conversations about launching tech hubs have gone on for at least a year and thought about how residents who are not connected to the web are missing their current events in the news or local government meetings. “I think we often take for granted our internet or us being connected. I was thinking back at the internet in times of AOL or when we had dial-up, you hear that crazy sound,” Durhal said. “Being a tech hub now right in this neighborhood is indicative of a great partnership.”

Photo credit: University of Michigan

Crain’s Detroit Business
Feb. 8, 2024
Sherri Welch

Enrollment at Michigan’s colleges and universities increased slightly last fall after more than 10 years of declines for four-year universities and ups and downs at community colleges. The gains come after COVID-19 pandemic-spurred losses, as well as a shrinking high school pipeline and economic factors. The upticks coincided with the rollout of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship last fall, but leaders also credit the increases to the retreat of the pandemic and other factors. Grant funding is growing at the state level with the achievement scholarships and federal level with increased Pell grants, providing more financial incentive for students to enroll, said Colby Spencer Cesaro, Vice President at Michigan Independent Colleges & Universities, an association representing two dozen private colleges and universities. Institutions in Michigan are also expanding their outreach to student populations that are typically underserved and getting creative with direct-admissions programs, increased transfer agreements and expansion of dual-enrollment programs for high school students, she said. …

Photo credit: Ryan Garza, USA TODAY Network

The Detroit Regional Chamber summarized key business components of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State Address in January, noting its support for making the first two years of community college tuition-free for every high school graduate and providing access to free pre-K for all four-year-old Michiganders. The Chamber promotes a robust, well-educated talent pipeline as a driver of economic prosperity, and these actions are a step toward ensuring that. 

Read more about Whitmer’s plans for state and regional education in her budget proposal in the article below.

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WWJ Newsradio
Feb. 8, 2024

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday laid out her budget proposal for the fiscal year 2025, making free education a big focus. Whitmer’s proposed $80.7 billion budget includes nearly $19 billion for the state school aid fund and $14 billion for the general fund. Following up on pillars of her State of the State address last month, Whitmer said Wednesday the budget includes funds to provide free pre-K for Michigan kids and tuition-free community college or skilled training for Michigan high school graduates.

RELATED: Chamber Perspective on the 2024 State of the State Address

Specifically, Whitmer’s budget includes $159 million for “continued expansion of free pre-K to every 4-year-old in Michigan,�which she says is two years ahead of schedule and can save families $10,000 a year. Her budget proposal would also expand the Michigan Achievement Scholarship with the Michigan Guarantee to “ensure every Michigan high school graduate can receive an associate degree or skilled certificate tuition-free at a community college.�That would save more than 18,000 students up to $4,820 on tuition each year, according to the governor’s office.

Speaking before House and Senate lawmakers Wednesday in Lansing, Whitmer called that part of her proposal “a transformational opportunity for our students�and said it would give them “a path to a better paying, high-skill job in a career that they love.�/p> Other highlights of Whitmer’s proposed budget include $1.4 billion one-time spend that would refurbish and/or build up to 10,000 new housing units across the state. “We know that this old housing stock and the dearth of housing stock is something that we’ve gotta continue to chip away at. So, a $1.4 billion investment is going to be game changing. It is 10 times what we were spending 10 years ago,�Whitmer said.

A full breakdown of Whitmer’s proposed budget can be found on the state’s website.

Michigan Republicans, meanwhile are pushing back on Whitmer’s budget, with Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt voicing “serious concerns�regarding the proposal.

“What we saw from Gov. Whitmer today was more public relations talking points paid for by the $700 million income tax increase the Democrat majority demanded,�said Nesbitt, of Porter Township. “Michigan families deserve a government that effectively spends their tax dollars on roads, schools and public safety, but Democrats recklessly squandered a $9 billion surplus, raised income taxes, and are raiding teacher retirement benefits. It’s unfair to force Michigan families to pay billions in government corporate handouts as they struggle to deal with higher grocery bills and energy prices.�/p> The budget proposal also “pays off a ‘mortgage�early��certain Michigan Public School Employees�Retirement System liabilities �and “frees up $670 million that can be invested into classrooms to help children learn,�according to a press release from the governor’s office.

In response, the Great Lakes Education Project says that move is asking lawmakers to “declare war on public school teachers.â€?/p> “Instead of offering kids a lifeline, Whitmer is asking Democratic majorities in the House and Senate to slash funding for public school teachers and to strip $670 million from public school teachersâ€?pension benefit funds. Voters expect better, and they’ll remember how lawmakers treated their local teachers come Election Day,â€?said said Beth DeShone, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Education Department. With the budget proposal now under consideration, lawmakers typically hope to “sign off” on a new budget plan each year in June or July.