Business and education leaders prepare for high-demand, high-wage careers of today and tomorrow

Marshall Plan for Talent invests $100 million in innovative programming

TED MEDIA CONTACT:
Erica Quealy
517-582-2961 | quealye@michigan.gov

DEARBORN, Mich. – Nearly 100 business and education leaders gathered at Henry Ford College (HFC) today to begin building partnerships that will help move the region – and the state – forward in developing high-demand talent for good-paying careers to close the state’s talent gap.

Participants at today’s Marshall Plan for Talent workshop, hosted by Talent and Economic Development Department of Michigan (Ted), discussed talent needs, potential barriers and partnerships to help form consortia that will allow them to apply for Marshall Plan funds. 

“Michigan grows stronger when leaders from all sectors work together to develop innovative solutions that move our state forward,” Ted Director Roger Curtis said. “Today’s workshop is about building partnerships and developing stronger collaborations to better prepare Michiganders for the high-demand, high-wage careers of today and the future."

The Marshall Plan is an additional $100 million investment in innovative programs to revolutionize Michigan’s talent and education system. It supports schools that want to transform education through programs like competency-based certifications, world-class curricula and classroom equipment, scholarships and stipends, and support for career navigators and teachers. The funding complements the more than $225 million in existing talent development efforts in the state.

Marshall Plan champions at HFC agree that innovative partnerships are key to revolutionize Michigan’s education and talent development system.

“The Marshall Plan will promote innovative partnerships between educators and employers to prepare Michigan citizens for the thousands of well-paying jobs in our state and region,” said HFC President Russell Kavalhuna. “Henry Ford College is uniquely positioned with existing programming to help make the Marshall Plan a success by working with K-12 schools and our industry partners to prepare students in such fields as nursing, skilled trades, and cyber-security. At Henry Ford College, we are FutureDriven, which makes our programs a natural fit for the Marshall Plan’s goal of preparing students to meet employers’ needs as they exist today and tomorrow. Whether that means competency-based certificate completion or degree programs, we stand ready to work with employers and the state of Michigan to help students prepare for meaningful careers.”  

Through 2024, Michigan will have more than 811,000 career openings to fill in fields that are facing a critical talent shortage. As the state considers talent preparation changes for these fields, the greatest demand for talent will be in increasingly high-skill, high-tech fields such as in information technology and computer science, manufacturing, health care and other business and Professional Trades careers.

For more information about the Marshall Plan for Talent, visit www.michigan.gov/marshallplan.