Central to Detroit Drives Degrees’ priorities are postsecondary attainment, equity, and talent alignment. This commitment is particularly evident through the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Credit Mobility Coalition, which is dedicated to advancing innovative approaches to credit recognition in the mobility and emerging technology sectors.
In partnership with MichAuto, Education Strategy Group (ESG), and thirteen regional postsecondary institutions, the Coalition launched in early 2025 with two goals:
- Standardizing the evaluation of industry-recognized credentials in the mobility and emerging technology sectors.
- Holistically improving the transfer student experience.
Funded by a federal Build Back Better (BBB) grant, the Coalition ensures that industry-recognized credentials count toward degrees. This approach reduces both time and cost for learners by creating stackable pathways that speed up progression into higher-earning roles.
The Impact of the Credit Mobility Coalition
To date, the Coalition has played a direct role in the adoption of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) policies and the recognition of up to six industry-recognized credentials at community colleges and universities in the Detroit Region.
In the community college space, Macomb Community College, Washtenaw Community College, and Oakland Community College are investing in recognizing Lean Six Sigma and Java SE 8 Associate certifications for credit, along with several related credentials. Among universities, the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University have successfully approved CPL policies or are advancing them. At the same time, Grand Valley State University OMNI and Oakland University have achieved significant faculty buy-in and hired new staff to support the work.
Taking a Collaborative Approach
The Coalition’s success is due to the dedication of partner institutions in collectively identifying common CPL goals in the Region. Partners engage in courageous conversations addressing both systemic and institution-specific challenges. The Coalition’s approach is also closely aligned with employer needs, ensuring that credential recognition aligns with workforce demands.
By working directly with MichAuto and companies convened by the Chamber, the initiative removes guesswork for learners and ensures that every credential leads to meaningful career opportunities. Focusing exclusively on the automotive sector allows partners to target the exact skills employers seek and ensures selected certifications are portable across multiple companies in the Region.
Progress Across Institutions
Momentum continues to build across the Region, with more than 27 active credit agreements in negotiation or awaiting final confirmation among Coalition institutions. Each college and university in the partnership is working to ensure these industry‑recognized credentials are fully transcripted, enabling students to transfer them seamlessly across institution types. This effort is especially important in Michigan’s highly decentralized higher education landscape.
Four‑year institutions have made remarkable strides by adopting new policies that formally recognize this learning, marking a significant cultural shift toward valuing third‑party, validated credentials. Several Coalition institutions are also launching Credit Predictor Pro, a tool from the Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), which streamlines the workflow for CPL reviews for faculty and administrators by mitigating hurdles in the academic review process.
Establishing a New Regional Norm
Detroit Drives Degrees, MichAuto, and Coalition institutions are establishing a new regional norm for recognizing learning and advancing talent across Southeast Michigan. By creating predictable, employer‑aligned pathways into automotive careers, the initiative ensures learners can confidently transition from industry‑recognized credentials into degree programs valued in the labor market.
These efforts reinforce statewide priorities around transfer and adult learner success, directly advancing Detroit Drives Degrees’ mission to boost attainment and strengthen the Region’s talent pipeline. Overall, this represents systems‑level change that positions Detroit as a national leader in credit mobility and workforce innovation.
Student Experience and Future Directions
In addition to advancing CPL adoption across the Region, the Coalition is deploying a transfer student-facing survey to capture students’ experiences and identify barriers in the transfer process. This survey, co-created and approved by Institutional Review Boards (IRB) from member institutions, will inform future improvements by grounding them in student voices. More details from the survey findings will be shared in early summer 2026.
For more information about the Credit Mobility Coalition, please get in touch with Amber Greenway Neher, Director of Student Success and Postsecondary Partnerships with Detroit Drives Degrees, at aneher@detroitchamber.com.