While our state’s unemployment rate has dipped to 4.3 percent, trending lower than it has in recent months, there’s still a skills gap and a workforce shortage facing our state. 

A look at the data:

• Our state projects there will be 811,055 high-demand career openings through 2024.

• The highest number of job openings will be in information technology and computer science; manufacturing; health care; professional trades and business with the average salary for these careers at $60,532.

• Michigan has more than 100,000 unfilled job openings.

• In Southeast Michigan, job postings for software developers grew 416 percent over five years. Job postings for mechanical, electrical and manufacturing engineers all soared as well.

• 73 percent of construction companies have reported difficulties in recruiting talent.

• In July, there were more than 300,000 more construction jobs than the same time period last year.

How can we prepare students for the careers needed today and, in the future?

“I think the community colleges play a huge role, not just with the high school students that want to move on in a postsecondary way, but also the adults,” Roger Curtis, director, Talent and Economic Development Department of Michigan said during a recent panel discussion with the Detroit Free Press. “Community colleges are probably one of the most misunderstood entities in the educational system, and the opportunities that are there to utilize them I don't think are fully being maximized.”

Community college foundations, a membership category at CMF that opened just three years ago, from around the state recently gathered at CMF member Northwestern Michigan College with CMF corporate and independent foundation colleagues to discuss the issues at play, how they can be engaged and what other funders are doing to support workforce development and respond to the changing environment.

Lisa Baragar Katz, senior program officer, economic vitality and entrepreneurship at the William Davidson Foundation and the founder of Workforce Intelligence Network, framed and moderated the daylong discussion.

DTE Energy shared at the community college convening that they’re working to close the learning gap and prepare students for immediate employment opportunities by partnering with community colleges such as: Lansing Community College’s Electrical Apprenticeship Program, Monroe Community College’s Nuclear Engineering Technology Program and Henry Ford College’s Energy Technology Program.

There are major efforts underway on the state level, also focusing on building partnerships to address the skills gap.

As CMF has reported, the governor’s Marshall Plan for Talent, aimed at closing the talent gap, will invest $100 million over five years in programs to attract and develop talent in Michigan.

The Marshall Plan is supportive of partnerships between the education and business community and other sectors to ensure students are learning the latest skills needed in the workforce. There are opportunities for community colleges within the plan.

Macomb Community College and Schoolcraft College have partnerships with their local school districts to help build talent. Through the Marshall Plan, such partnerships could be eligible for funding for a talent consortium, which would help fund community colleges to teach skills-based courses.

The Marshall Plan has grants available for community colleges and universities, who are involved in such partnerships, to provide coaches to mentor students.

Here are a few innovative programs underway at community colleges focused on engaging youth in career pathways and enhancing workforce development:

• Kellogg Community College: The college’s next Kellogg Advanced Manufacturing Assembly training program begins next week. It’s a four-week program to prepare participants for entry-level manufacturing positions and is open to Battle Creek residents who meet income guidelines.

• Delta College: The college partners with Dow Chemical to prepare individuals for careers through their 13-week program, Delta College Chemical Process Operator Fast Start.

• Lansing Community College: The college announced recently they’re partnering with Google to expand the college’s digital skills training to job seekers and small businesses in the area.

• Schoolcraft College: Earlier this year, the college hosted a Career Pathways Open House to connect with middle and high school students about opportunities in technology and engineering.

• Mott Community College: This summer the college launched MOTT NEXT, a summer youth program giving middle and high school students a chance to explore career opportunities first-hand.

Barton Malow and DTE Energy, both CMF members, shared with community college foundations workforce development initiatives they are working on which show the value of these partnerships, which include:

• Barton Malow Bootcamp: A six-week program that provides classroom instruction and supervised on-the-job training in partnership with unions, Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and Detroit Workforce of the Future.

• Randolph Career and Technical Center: A partnership with Barton Malow, DTE Energy, Detroit Public Schools and Detroit Employment Solutions Corp to update, renovate and bring back essential classes. DTE Energy shares that the center had 232 people enrolled this summer with a goal of 300 attendees by the end of the year.

 “The convening of community college partners was a helpful opportunity to share successes and challenges,” Rebecca Teahen, executive director, Northwestern Michigan College Foundation, a CMF member, said. “The partnerships some colleges, funders, and other community partners have created are inspiring and will help to create opportunities to change lives and change communities in a positive way.”

Want more?

Learn more about the Marshall Plan for Talent.

CMF and the Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL) are hosting the webinar: The Marshall Plan for Michigan Talent: Engaging with State Government on Workforce Development next week on September 19,  where we will hear from the Michigan Department of Education and Department of Talent Economic Development about the initiative, opportunities and how funders can get involved.