Investing in Local Talent: Why Cutting Workforce Supports Threatens Our Future

By Jessica Topp, CEO of Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium

In Northeast Michigan, we know the value of hard work. We know how to pull together to keep our communities strong, even when times are tough. That’s why the proposed state budget, which zeros out critical workforce programs, is so concerning. These aren’t just numbers on a page — they are lifelines for local families, students, and employers.

At Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, our mission is simple: to empower today’s workforce and ignite tomorrow’s economy by bringing together employers, jobseekers, and partners. Last year alone, we served over 1,500 employers and helped fill 3,451 jobs. We partnered with 17 local employers to launch new apprenticeships, resulting in 35 new apprentices, and worked with 9 employers to secure Going PRO Training Fund grants to upskill over 170 workers. We helped 296 individuals receive training in high-demand fields. And through our Barrier Removal initiative, we helped over 400 residents overcome the obstacles that were holding them back from getting or keeping a job. We also worked with the next generation, serving 252 at-risk youth, providing 57 youth work experiences, and reaching 2,143 students through career exploration events.

This is the scale of what’s at stake. Programs like the Going PRO Talent Fund, Barrier Removal, Apprenticeships, and Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates make this possible. These are the very programs the House budget has chosen to completely zero out. Without them, fewer people will get the training and support they need, fewer employers will be able to upskill their workers, and fewer youth will see a future for themselves here at home.

This September is National Workforce Development Month. It should be a time to celebrate progress. Instead, it’s also a time of warning. The choices made in Lansing today will echo for years in communities like ours. If we want strong local economies, if we want young people to see a future here, if we want families to thrive — we cannot afford to tear down the very programs that make it possible.

When you invest in people, you invest in the future of our towns. That’s the kind of investment Northeast Michigan needs now more than ever.

Learn more at MiWorksNE.org.