Securing the Talent Pipeline: The Push to Restore Going PRO, Expand Dual Enrollment

With the next state budget process underway, the Detroit Regional Chamber is championing the restoration of the Going PRO Talent Fund and advocating for crucial changes to dual enrollment programs. These initiatives have been proven to provide employers with the talent needed to compete on a national and international scale. They also represent sound, upstream investments that go directly to the source of workforce development.

The Going PRO Talent Fund was an employer-driven, reimbursable grant program considered by many Chamber members to be the best talent development initiative supported by the state. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget recommendation completely axed the workforce program.

Over 200,000 Michiganders have received training since the program was launched in 2014. Employees experience an average 7.2% increase in hourly wages as a direct result of Going PRO training. Funding is not awarded to employers until training is completed and retention requirements are met, ensuring taxpayer dollars are appropriated responsibly to upskilling Michiganders.

While fully funding the program to meet demand would require up to $100 million, restoring it to $55 million in this budget is essential and is what the Chamber will advocate for.

Dual enrollment serves as an economic competitiveness strategy that must scale to produce more skilled workers in high-demand sectors such as mobility, health care, IT, and advanced manufacturing.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, about 7% of high school students in the state participated in dual enrollment, despite universal eligibility. Dual enrollment accounts for just 14% of community college enrollment in the state, well below the national average of 22%. Participating in these programs accelerates entry into high-demand careers, allowing students to earn transferable credits, shorten their time-to-degree, and reduce student debt.

To maximize this workforce tool, recommendations include modernizing eligibility requirements beyond narrow testing thresholds and prioritizing investments in courses that will lead to high-demand, high-wage pathways. In the state budget, legislators should create a dedicated dual enrollment fund to cover the cost of student enrollment, rather than drawing from their per-pupil allowance.

Chamber members and the business community need to join the Public Policy and Business Advocacy team in calling their legislators to urge them to fully fund Going PRO and support changes to dual enrollment programs that increase the number of college credits high schoolers can graduate with.