The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) has awarded the Detroit Regional Chamber $1.2 million through the Reconnect Community Action Grant in partnership with Henry Ford College (HFC).
The Reconnect Community Action Grant is part of Michigan’s broader effort to achieve Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal, which aims to ensure that 60% of working-age Michigan residents earn a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030.
This grant will allow HFC, in partnership with the Chamber, to expand Detroit Reconnect by hiring staff who support students, enhancing outreach and technology access, and building strong alumni and partner networks. Detroit Reconnect is an initiative to help adults pursuing or returning to higher education gain new skills, advance in the workplace, and fulfill lifelong dreams of completing a degree or credential. It does this by providing adults who are 21 or older with services and resources to assist with:
- Completing high school (high school equivalency/GED).
- Finding the best fit for a college, university, or trade school.
- Accessing and understanding tuition benefits, grants, scholarships, and other funding options.
- Navigating through a college, university, or trade school.
- Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to open access to financial aid.
- Exploring careers and job placement opportunities.
- Getting referrals for holistic support, such as housing, transportation, basic needs, etc.
Real opportunities to advance adult students’ careers
“Detroit Reconnect represents a vital step forward in our collective responsibility to support adult learners,” said HFC Vice President of Advancement Dr. A. Reginald Best, whose team is responsible for managing the grant at HFC. “By strengthening pathways to education and career readiness, this initiative ensures that more individuals, regardless of their background, have the support and resources necessary to achieve their goals and contribute meaningfully to our communities. We look forward to partnering with the Detroit Regional Chamber on this important effort to advance opportunity and equity throughout the region.”
Greg Handel, the Vice President of TalentEd at the Chamber, agreed. Through TalentEd, Handel is responsible for the Chamber’s efforts to ensure that employers in the Detroit region have access to the talent needed to thrive in the 21st century global environment. He also oversees the Detroit Promise, a tuition-free college degree program.
“There has never been a more important time to support students of all ages seeking a credential or college degree,” said Handel. “Funds from the Reconnect Community Action Grant will be instrumental in helping the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Reconnect program continue doing that. Detroit Reconnect has a history of meeting students where they are to assist them in succeeding through their unique college journeys, and support from this grant will allow the program to expand the resources and opportunities to do so. The Chamber and Detroit Reconnect appreciate HFC’s long-standing partnership, which led to this opportunity to support students across the Detroit region’s colleges and to achieve 2030 educational attainment goals.”