Stronger alignment between schools, colleges, employers, and policymakers is needed to improve economic competitiveness and help more Michigan students connect with high-demand careers, according to state leaders in education and workforce development. During a panel discussion at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, speakers pointed to troubling education and workforce indicators while also highlighting growing momentum around career and technical education, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship programs.
View the full video below.
Moderator David Egner of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, opened the discussion by highlighting several education and workforce trends, including Michigan’s decline in fourth-grade reading and math rankings and lower participation rates in dual enrollment compared with neighboring states. For every 100 ninth-graders, only 35 will complete higher education within six years, said Greg Handel of the Detroit Regional Chamber.
“In an economy where basically all of the best-paying jobs require some kind of postsecondary education, two-thirds of the students don’t have one,” Handel said. “It requires a set of sustained solutions. It is a complex issue with complex answers.”
Nerita Hughes of Bay College and the Michigan Workforce Development Board said Michigan’s education and workforce systems remain too fragmented and called for closer collaboration between education providers, employers, and workforce agencies.
“We’re still defending the value of community college education when it should be viewed as part of a three-legged stool alongside education, economic, and workforce development,” Hughes said.
Recent investments in college affordability programs are helping remove financial barriers for Michigan students pursuing postsecondary education and workforce training. According to Brandy Johnson, president of the Michigan Community College Association, the state has significantly expanded financial aid opportunities in recent years, including programs that allow many students to attend community college tuition-free, yet many students are unaware.
“A high school diploma simply isn’t enough to compete in Michigan’s 21st-century knowledge-based economy,” Johnson said. “We need students and families to deeply understand that … and then tell them immediately after that community college is basically free in Michigan.”
Panelists also highlighted the growth of dual enrollment and apprenticeship programs statewide.
Glenn Maleyko, Michigan’s state superintendent of public instruction, said partnerships between K-12 districts and community colleges are an effective strategy for improving outcomes and exposing students to career pathways earlier.
Whether students want to pursue community college, technical training, or an Ivy League institution, he said, “I think we need to open up more options and provide the funding and the ability for students to take advantage.”
The panelists repeatedly emphasized that employers must become more directly involved in helping students understand career opportunities and workplace expectations. Handel described partnerships that bring employers into classrooms to expose students to healthcare, technology, and other career fields, while Hughes discussed Bay College’s apprenticeship agreements with multiple skilled trades organizations.
Expanding work-based learning opportunities, including paid internships, could help students better understand career options while strengthening workforce readiness, Maleyko said.
“I’d love to see a lot more scale in terms of work-based learning,” he said. “The co-ops, paid internships and other opportunities for students to get work experience and make some money while they do it.”
This session was hosted by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
