April 10, 2026 | This Week in Government: Michigan Businesses Can Apply for Up to $6M in Grants for Employee Training

Applications opened on Wednesday for businesses in the state to apply for training grant funding, announced by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

The Going PRO Talent Fund is a statewide program that helps to strengthen Michigan’s workforce and economy by providing funds to businesses to train employees and retain workers.

The grants support training models, classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and Registered Apprenticeships and are meant to accommodate a wide range of businesses and their needs.

This includes industries like agribusiness, construction, education, energy, health care, hospitality, outdoor recreation, information technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, and mobility. Training is delivered through partnership with Michigan Works! Agencies.

The program began in 2014 and since then it has awarded more than $323.4 million, supported 8,996 businesses, and 241,600 workers statewide.

Up to $6 million in funding is available and businesses have until 5 p.m. on April 24 to apply. Award announcements are expected in June.

Employers interested in applying for grants should contact their local Michigan Works! Service Center for assistance in the application process.

House Republicans visited an after-school civics club at Woodhaven High School Tuesday, meeting with around 15 bright faces asking how else the government can help their peers with their social media addiction.

The event was part of two-stop tour by House Republicans to explain the cellphone ban bills recently signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that prohibit cellphone use during instructional time, one of the few bipartisan moves this session on policy bills. Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, and Rep. Jamie Thompson, R-Brownstown Township, spent the afternoon discussing policy ideas with the teens most affected by modern technology.

Some of the suggestions to the representatives included a deeper dive into how to use artificial intelligence in the classroom and looking to roll back how early students get a Chromebook put on their desks for instruction.

Another part of the conversation was on how the bill affected curriculum hours; however, the bill is only tied to those in-class hours, allowing high school students to still use smartphones during passing periods or lunch time.

Tisdel on the day of the bill signing said the goal was a bell-to-bell policy, which was lost during compromise on the language. Now, while explaining the bills, Tisdel said this could be a possible update to the legislation but could be premature as the legislation has yet to take effect.

However, he said researchers say this is the gold standard in cellphone policy.

Thompson said she hasn’t heard complaints from teachers on the policy but would be interested in looking into an update before moving too far away from it.

The conversation with students surrounded the emotional effects of social media to adolescents and addictive nature of algorithms. The Senate has bills on the floor, a vote delayed until after spring recess, that would enact stricter regulations governing social media access for minors and ban social media platforms from pushing addictive, data-driven feeds to minors without parental approval.

On if the comments were fodder to support those bills, Thompson said she was open to looking at them because they “can’t just sit back.”

“I really believe that we can’t sit back and let technology that’s supposed to be for good destroy our kids’ brains, mental health, and not figure out a way to keep them safe online, keep them mentally healthy, and address these issues that they’re telling us that they want to address,” Thompson said.

However, Tisdel said his bill, HB 4388, would be a better option to address the issue as it is simple contract law to establish age verification and consent requirements for social media accounts, putting parents in control.

He said the Senate bills aim too much at content and technology, the state not having the wherewithal to monitor AI algorithms, and content regulation could open doors to First Amendment infringement claims.

Focusing on the legislative session ahead after spring recess, both Tisdel and Thompson said the state should expect the budget sooner than later.

Thompson said both sides want to get it done as soon as possible in the campaign year, and the timeline is looking accelerated on budgetary requests.

With the amount of work they did last year to weed out waste, Tisdel said, they expect it should be a budget served up on time.

In looking at how House Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, has handled the docket, pushing for another year without a ton of bills moving forward to the governor’s desk, both said they were unsure if passing more was quantity over quality.

Thompson said while there is legislation that needs to be passed, there are so many laws now and legislators shouldn’t be going to Lansing just to make laws.

“Sometimes we have too many of those, and they’re coming too quick, and you’re not reading them, and you’re not processing them, and they’re having hearings that they’re just going through too quick,” Thompson said.

In terms of legislative priorities for both, Thompson highlighted next of kin and surrogate decision maker bills, HB 4418 and HB 4419, which are sitting in the Senate as well as a slew of health care bills.

Tisdel wants to see movement on his social media bill as well as a four-bill package he says will be coming soon on incentives for seniors in large homes that feel trapped due to pop-up taxes, that can make it hard for them to sell.

He also propped up the MI Home Program introduced by the Michigan Municipal League to provide $800 million over the next five years to boost statewide housing construction, or $160 million per year, which they say could spur the development of about 10,000 housing units over the next five years. This would be a competing bill package to House Democrats’ Whitmer-endorsed zoning reform bills.

Tisdel also emphasized property tax reduction as a key issue this year, wanting to see movement on Hall’s plan to replace the state property tax with the 6% service taxes.

A new report from an organization focused on getting adults back into higher education shows that its partnerships within Michigan have led to nearly 14,000 people having reenrolled to obtain degrees or certificates over the last several years.

The report from ReUp Education highlighted how over the past eight years, more than 13,900 individuals in Michigan who had stopped pursuing higher education have reenrolled. Of those, more than 1,700 have graduated. It stated that about 25,000 more individuals are actively weighing reenrolling at an institution of higher education.

It was added that the increased enrollment has led to an additional $57 million in tuition revenue for institutions across the state.

In the report, ReUp Education highlighted its expanded partnership with the Michigan Association of State Universities and programs in partnership with the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential.

“Through this growing marketplace, ReUp continues to strengthen Michigan’s education-to-workforce ecosystem by reconnecting thousands of learners to opportunity, generating lasting economic returns for the state, and advancing Michigan’s Sixty by 30 postsecondary attainment goal,” the report states.

ReUp Education began its first partnership with a higher education institution in the state in 2018. It established its partnership with MASU in 2022 with six public universities and then began a partnership with MiLEAP through its Reenroll with Reconnect program in 2024, which involves 12 community colleges supporting adult learners aged 21-24.

“Michigan’s economic strength and long-term competitiveness hinge on our ability to help more adults complete the degrees they’ve already started,” Dan Hurley, Chief Executive Officer of the Michigan Association of State Universities, said in a statement. “This statewide, multi-partner initiative demonstrates what’s possible when our public institutions align around a shared goal: reconnecting thousands of Michiganders with clear, supported pathways back to college. By removing barriers and providing personalized guidance at scale, we are strengthening our universities, our workforce, and our state’s long-term economic competitiveness.”

The report states that there are 1.2 million Michigan residents who have earned college credits but do not hold a degree, and that about 38,000 students drop out per year. Michigan also faces an estimated 20% decline in high school graduates by 2041.

“These trends pose serious challenges to the state’s economic mobility and workforce readiness,” the report states. “As fewer traditional students enter the system, the need to reengage adults who have stopped out of college becomes increasingly urgent.”

ReUp Education said barriers to access to higher education include cost, limited time, and unclear pathways to completion for those seeking to return to school.

“Michigan stands at a pivotal moment in its journey toward educational opportunity and economic growth,” the report states. “The state’s strategic investment in a reenrollment marketplace has significantly advanced Michigan’s college attainment and workforce readiness goals.”

The report made multiple recommendations to continue building momentum, including establishing sustainable resources to preserve existing programs and expand the reenrollment efforts to additional higher education institutions. It also suggested expanding program eligibility to reduce barriers for re-enrollment.

“By maintaining growth, expanding institutional participation, and widening opportunity for learners of all ages, Michigan can ensure that every adult has the chance to return and complete their education,” the report states.

A grant program for infrastructure projects with the goal of mitigating potential disasters is open to eligible applicants through the end of April, the Department of State Police said last week.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities program was caught up in court until early last month. On April 1, FEMA opened the application period and released the 2025 fiscal year notice of funding opportunity, MSP said in a release.

The BRIC program provides federal funding to support hazard mitigation projects designed to reduce or eliminate future property damage and loss of life from natural hazards, including floods, tornadoes, and severe storms. The program prioritizes infrastructure and construction projects that deliver measurable risk reduction and strengthen community resilience.

“BRIC funding provides communities the opportunity to take proactive steps to reduce risk before disaster strikes,” MSP Director James Grady said in a statement. “By investing in infrastructure and mitigation now, we help protect lives, safeguard critical services, and ensure Michigan communities grow stronger and more resilient for the future.”

In the past, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects nationwide, totaling approximately $4.5 billion in BRIC funding. In Michigan, 22 projects have been selected in recent years, totaling more than $19 million in federal funding.

On March 6, a federal court ordered FEMA to take steps to reverse the cancellation of the program following a December 2025 decision that said the termination of the program was illegal.

“Every dollar FEMA spends on mitigation saves $6 in post-disaster costs,” Attorney General Dana Nessel, who joined a coalition challenging the program’s cancellation, said in a statement. “By securing these court orders, we’ve cleared the way for critical BRIC funding to flow back into our state, allowing the Michigan State Police to resume the work of fortifying our communities against natural disasters. I look forward to seeing the life-saving impact of this next round of proposals.”

Starting in July, the federal government’s Pell Grant program will expand to offer financial aid for short-term, workforce-aligned credential programs, realizing a goal of community colleges and policymakers hoping to boost postsecondary credential-holder numbers. But is Michigan prepared to make the shift?

Operational Workforce Pell Grants, commonly referred to as workforce Pell, were folded into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act when it passed in 2025. The July 2026 implementation date was set, giving states about a year to make the necessary changes to ensure a smooth rollout, a task which is being performed in Michigan by the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential, alongside nonprofit partners.

LEO Director Susan Corbin said her department has been working with MiLEAP and the State Workforce Development Board to prepare for the launch of workforce Pell this summer.

“The federal Pell Grant program has long served as a ladder into the middle class, and I am excited to see this important resource extended to individuals pursuing short-term training programs,” Corbin said. “Workforce Pell will benefit workers and employers alike by training Michiganders for in-demand careers with good-paying wages. LEO is working strategically with our state partners, training providers and workforce stakeholders to ensure Workforce Pell is launched at the earliest opportunity to continue our goal of creating prosperity for all.”

Non-governmental partners like Michigan Works! and the Michigan Community College Association have also been involved in the process of readying the institutions which host workforce credential programs for the Pell expansion and making prospective applicants aware of the new option that will soon be available for financial aid.

LEO officials said the full implementation will require data systems modifications, potential changes to training program curriculum (or the development of new curricula) and enhanced data sharing coupled with ongoing compliance and monitoring, which will come at a cost to the state.

There was no dedicated federal funding provided to states to support the implementation and operation of workforce Pell in the OBBBA, but LEO is “working with (its) partners to secure additional federal appropriations and grant funding” to help offset the costs associated with the expansion.

Not all workforce training programs will be eligible for Pell Grant coverage. Under the OBBBA provision, programs must meet the expansion’s eligibility requirements: they must have been offered by their host institution for at least one year, must consist of 150-599 clock hours – hours spent in classes or under instructional supervision, as opposed to credit hours – delivered over eight to 15 weeks and must meet certain performance benchmarks.

One of those benchmarks: having at least a 70% completion rate and at least a 70% job placement rate within 180 days of a student completing the program and receiving a credential.

The completion rate requirement represents a departure from the historical definition of success in higher education as tied to federal aid: once it’s rolled out, workforce Pell will be the first short-term financial aid program at scale in which eligibility is explicitly determined by performance benchmarks.

Per the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the national six-year completion rate across two- and four-year institutions has leveled off in recent years at approximately 61%. Considering that data against the 70% completion rate required for their students to receive workforce Pell Grants, it’s likely many participating institutions would need to retool systems or partnerships to consistently meet the threshold set by the OBBBA.

Many Americans enroll in two- or four-year credential granting programs but do not complete them, and the institutions which have greater percentages of students who don’t complete the programs in which they’re enrolled are also the ones which stand to gain the most from workforce Pell: community colleges or career training centers which offer open admissions and accommodate nontraditional students like working adults, returning citizens or students with caregiving responsibilities.

Still, even with these considerations, supporters of the program have emphasized that workforce Pell stands to have a transformative effect on both Michiganders seeking skill credentials and the institutions which house training programs.

“(Workforce Pell is) a huge win for community colleges, and that is opening up some Pell grant eligibility to some of those very high-quality workforce development programs,” MCCA President Brandy Johnson told members of the House Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee during a March presentation. “We’re working in very close partnership with LEO, with MiLEAP, with the Michigan Works! Association to help our colleges, and ultimately our employers and students, take advantage of workforce Pell.”

In alignment with federal guidelines, Michigan is currently working to set up an application process for workforce Pell and is establishing definitions and criteria for the program. The OBBBA provides that state governors must approve institutions for participation. A representative for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether Whitmer has reviewed credential programs and their host institutions to designate participants.