Enterprise Leaders for Michigan
July 18, 2023
DETROIT – As Michigan appears to develop jobs, earnings and inhabitants, and reach navigating financial disruptions and the way forward for work, a high-performing group school system will likely be important, in line with a new report launched as we speak by Enterprise Leaders for Michigan. The report, “Compete to Win: Constructing a World Class Group School System,” is targeted on the vital position of group faculties and requires complete, collaborative motion focused at bettering the state’s group school outcomes.
Group faculties can open doorways for Michigan residents to earn greater incomes, strengthen our financial competitiveness, enhance placemaking and develop the state. Right this moment, Michigan ranks forty ninth nationally in group school completion and forty eighth for its 10-year enrollment development. Moreover, systemic fairness gaps proceed, with the three-year commencement price for college students of coloration 9 proportion factors behind white college students. Michigan is also the one state within the nation and not using a statewide company targeted on group school success – although lately it took a step to alter that with the introduced creation of the Michigan Division of Lifelong Training, Development, and Potential.
There have been necessary steps taken to extend the variety of Michiganders with a level or certificates, together with adoption of a statewide aim of getting 60% of our grownup inhabitants with a post-high college credential or diploma by 2030, enactment and enlargement of packages comparable to Michigan Reconnect that present tens of hundreds of Michiganders tuition-free paths to a level, and the strengthening of scholar helps and success packages. Bettering outcomes at group faculties will likely be very important to serving to the state attain the sixty-by-30 aim.
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“Michigan’s group faculties are designed to fulfill the wants of employers and supply pathways to prosperity for college students from all walks of life. If we hope to turn into a Prime 10 state, we want to ensure they succeed,” mentioned Jeff Donofrio, President and CEO of Enterprise Leaders for Michigan. “It’s important that we drive better agility, scale and innovation, in addition to enhancements to enrollment and commencement charges, if we need to turn into a extra aggressive state. It’s time to alter the established order and assist our group faculties, and people they serve, succeed.”
Enterprise Leaders for Michigan’s suggestions will assist drive transformational change.
“As Michigan works to turn into a extra aggressive state, we should take quick steps to enhance our training techniques. Companies and folks observe alternative,” Donofrio mentioned. “Failure to behave will value us exponentially extra – by means of low state rankings, out migration and employers selecting to develop elsewhere. Group faculties can turn into one among our biggest property for constructing a extra strong expertise pipeline and strengthening our state’s economic system.”
The suggestions outlined within the Enterprise Leaders report will:
- Enhance statewide helps for group faculties and their college students
- With robust management, transparency and funding linked to outcomes and fairness
- With scholar helps that may enhance commencement charges and profession success
- Develop and streamline packages that present tuition-free pathways to group school and switch to 4-year establishments
- Enhance employer connections and innovation in coaching
- Strengthen our Okay-12 system to supply a stronger basis for post-high college success
Stakeholders throughout the state expressed assist for the report and its suggestions.
“With the info and proposals on this report, Enterprise Leaders for Michigan highlights the vital significance of group faculties to statewide financial development and prosperity for Michigan residents. We look ahead to working along with Enterprise Leaders and our companions on this name to motion,” mentioned David Egner, President & CEO, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Basis. “The work of Detroit Drives Levels Group School Collaborative (D3C3), a partnership of the Detroit Regional Chamber and 7 group faculties in Southeast Michigan with Wilson Basis and Ballmer Group assist, is a promising begin in implementing systemic methods and approaches that may result in lasting enhancements in direction of scholar success.”
“A powerful and progressive group school system is vital to the state’s sixty-by-30 aim, our personal aim of accelerating post-secondary attainment in Oakland County, and the long run vibrancy of our economic system. This report shines a lightweight on each challenges and alternatives and presents necessary suggestions for our state to behave on. Group faculties should assist ease the transition academically and financially for highschool college students, present improved profession pathways for adults by means of school levels and industry-recognized coaching packages, and ensure companies have the expert workforce they want in a fast-changing economic system,” Oakland County Government David Coulter mentioned.
“Group faculties present Michiganders the flexibility to rapidly improve their data and expertise to fill the greater than 100,000 good-paying jobs employers have to fill. The report offers a transparent path to enhance entry, improve completion charges, and assist extra Michiganders thrive. TalentFirst and our Michigan Heart for Grownup School Success look ahead to working with Enterprise Leaders for Michigan to implement the suggestions,” mentioned Kevin Stotts, President of TalentFirst.
“It is a worthwhile report offering vital perspective on the place the State stands with respect to our group faculties and potential paths ahead for creating a simpler expertise growth system. We’re significantly happy to already be partnering with funders, group faculties and employers as a part of Detroit Drives Levels Group School Collaborative (D3C3), to impact fairness targeted, techniques stage change,” mentioned Sandy Baruah, President and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
“This report lays out clear targets and particular ways that might assist Michigan turn into extra aggressive. I look ahead to working with my colleagues within the legislature to develop insurance policies that may assist our group faculties succeed and assist extra Michiganders attain their full potential,” mentioned State Rep. Graham Filler, (R-Clinton County).
“The information is obvious: Michigan should do extra to assist our college students and our group faculties in order that we will shut expertise gaps and supply extra alternatives for our residents to get the levels and credentials they should earn family-sustaining wages. It’s time for us all to return collectively to make actual and sustainable modifications that may make Michigan a Prime 10 state for expertise,” mentioned State Sen. Sam Singh, (D- East Lansing).
The group school suggestions tie again to Enterprise Leaders’ 2023 Holistic Economic Development Framework. The framework urges the state’s elected leaders, educators, group leaders and employers to handle expertise, financial growth and enterprise local weather by means of complete planning and motion. The event of a robust financial and academic infrastructure that transcends developments and political phrases is vital if Michigan is to earn a spot among the many nation’s Prime 10 states for financial growth.
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About Enterprise Leaders for Michigan:
Enterprise Leaders for Michigan, the state’s enterprise roundtable, is devoted to creating Michigan a Prime 10 state for jobs, training, broadly shared prosperity and a wholesome economic system. The group consists solely of the manager leaders of Michigan’s largest corporations and universities. Our members drive 40% of the state’s economic system, generate over $1 trillion in annual income, make use of greater than 540,000 folks in Michigan, and educate greater than half of all Michigan public college college students. Discover out extra at www.businessleadersformichigan.com.
