WIOA State Plan Common Elements

Despite the lowest unemployment rate in years, thousands of jobs remain unfilled.  Michigan’s efforts are focused on equity and access for all our citizens – closing opportunity gaps for all populations while utilizing a people-centered approach to ensure access to all programs and services available through the workforce system and partnerships.  This strategy encompasses greater partnerships and collaboration to achieve greater success.  To improve access to interim credentials that are portable and stackable, and lead to post-secondary credentials, Michigan is focused on regional and local areas leveraging State resources that provide assistance to obtain post-secondary credentials, along with career pathways to create better jobs and training.  Additional focus around major industries allow greater access to activities for in-demand occupations.  This customer-centered, demand-driven approach allows us to streamline our efforts, reduce administrative costs, and leverage our resources to promote better employment services. 

Our workforce development system is committed to increasing the competitive advantage of businesses and offers a variety of coordinated services and programs designed to fit the needs of employers and workers through a network of 16 Michigan Works! Agencies (MWAs) with a network of 60 Michigan Works! Service Centers and 36 affiliate satellite service centers that support employers in finding skilled workers, retraining the current workforce, and offering training and education services. 

Articulation agreements are established between career and technical education programs at the secondary and post-secondary level to align curricula with challenging academic standards and relevant career and technical skills.  These agreements allow students to achieve skills, credentials, certificates, Registered Apprenticeships, two-year, four-year, and advanced degrees that meet the needs of local and regional employers. 

• Training programs funded by the Going PRO Talent Fund must fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by an eligible business.  The training must lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable between employers within an industry, and lead to permanent full-time employment and continued permanent full-time employment.
• The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
• (LEO’s) work-based learning efforts are designed to provide the opportunity for trainees to have greater access to post-secondary credentials and industry-recognized credentials. 
• The Community College Skilled Trades Equipment Program (CCSTEP) provides funding that enables Michigan community colleges to purchase equipment required for educational programs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand occupations as identified by regional labor market conditions that build and retain a talented workforce in the state.  CCSTEP requires collaboration with employers, community colleges, and school districts as well as a detailed plan on how the funding will help meet employer’s job needs.

 Registered Apprenticeships are recognized as a key driver of transformational workforce and economic development activity.  Michigan is among the national leaders in Registered Apprenticeships (RAs) and the state’s apprenticeship network continues to work to grow the number of opportunities available to students and job seekers to gain in-demand skills without extensive tuition debt.  Moreover, employers get the talent they need to grow and thrive, while creating more and better jobs.  RA is a proven catalyst in addressing the skilled workforce talent gap.  Apprenticeships provide an exceptional career path that addresses unique employer needs while offering training, income and a credential to employees which is in direct alignment with the Governor’s new statewide goal to increase the number of Michiganders with a post-secondary credential (a high-quality industry certificate, associate degree or higher) from 45 to 60 percent by 2030.

 LEO is also improving access to RA certificates through State Apprenticeship Expansion (SAE) Continuation grant activities.  Work focuses on stakeholder engagement, bringing employers, education and training institutions, workforce development organizations, economic developers, community organizations, and government together to develop RA programs to fill identified talent gaps within in-demand occupations under the sectors of: Energy, Health Care, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Agriculture, Other Professional Trades, and Business.  SAE Continuation Grant sub-grantees provide professional services to Michigan-based companies, and job seekers helping them expand the use of RA.  SAE sub-grantees are cultivating competency-based non-traditional apprenticeships focused in industries that include education, health care and information technology. 

Examples of portable and stackable credentials being identified and developed in regional programs include: 

• Early Childhood Pre-Apprenticeship and RA programs that are building a talent pipeline into early childhood education related fields and earning an industry recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) certification.
   
• Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) RA program meeting the needs of the health care sector in partnerships with employers and educational providers.
   
• Medical Assistant RA programs support apprentices earning industry recognized Certified Medical Assistant credentials by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
   
• Information Technology RA program supports apprentices earning industry recognized credentials in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA Security+.

 Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) – Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) and Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) 

MRS and the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) provide counseling on and support enrollment in post-secondary training leading to a recognized credential.  

As a division within MRS, Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) is a post-secondary residential facility that provides specialized vocational training and comprehensive rehabilitation services to help individuals with disabilities acquire skills required for competitive integrated employment and self-sufficiency.  MCTI offers 13 technical training programs leading to a recognized credential.  

Community-based training through the MCTI Community Expansion Program.  VR, in partnership with the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity-Workforce Development, Michigan Works! Association, Department of Health and Human Services, and Local Education Agencies, collaborated on expansion of their training programs.  During this initial collaboration, Michigan Career and Technical Institute worked with individuals to provide a community-based CNA program targeting Partnership.Accountability.Training.Hope (PATH) program participants with disabilities, with the Department of Health and Human Services paying for the training.  Since 2014, MCTI has delivered CNA training programs in Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Muskegon.  Continued program expansion includes exporting the CNA training program as well as other MCTI trade training programs along with an array of remedial services.   

MRS has an agreement with Michigan State University to provide VR services to eligible students attending the university. 

MRS and BSBP partner with Western Michigan University for the provision of VR services benefiting our respective customers.  The measures are intended to improve access to post-secondary credentials and increase skill attainment.