Employer-Led Collaborative helps customer and Flint-area hospital address workforce needs

Leia’s journey reflects the power of workforce development through Registered Apprenticeships. While employed at McLaren Flint, Leia enrolled in Surgical Technology training through a consortium partnership between Mott Community College and Muskegon Community College.

Through the Surgical Technology apprenticeship program, Leigh completed online coursework while working full time at McLaren Flint, gaining hands-on experience in the operating room. The Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities Program provides critical workforce assistance by covering her tuition through Employer-Led Collaborative funding and monitoring her academic progress.

Leia faced several barriers — including eviction and utility shut-off notices, and a lack of funds for car insurance and transportation — but with funding through various workforce development programs, Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities was able to provide Leia with supportive services that kept her on track to graduate.

In May 2025, Leia earned her Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology from Muskegon Community College and was promoted to Operation Room Technician at McLaren Flint — her first degree and professional healthcare position.

By braiding funding from multiple sources, Flint Healthcare Employment Opportunities was able to support this initiative by covering participant tuition costs, helping Leia gain the skills she needed to enter the job market.