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Sixty By 30 Talent Tour Highlights Efforts To Boost Skills In West Michigan

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The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity focused on activity to train workers so they can find better careers in west Michigan Monday. It says a meeting of the Michigan Sixty by 30 Talent Tour featured local leaders who discussed progress that’s been made and plans for the future. The Sixty by 30 campaign aims to have 60% of Michigan residents will a certificate, associate degree or higher degree by 2030. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity told us more:

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The Michigan Sixty by 30 Talent Tour zeroed in on the state’s West Michigan Prosperity Region today as state and local talent leaders joined virtually to celebrate the growing number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree toward the goal of 60% by 2030 and highlight opportunities for more Michiganders to take advantage of low- or no-cost training to excel in high-demand careers.

“Our Sixty by 30 efforts are working – putting more Michiganders within reach of a college degree or skills certificate,” Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin said. “Postsecondary education attainment creates new opportunities for better jobs and bigger paychecks and helps Michigan businesses fill critical talent needs so they can continue to compete, grow and achieve success here.”

The tour’s aim is to highlight the state’s latest Sixty by 30 achievements and promote awareness of how programs like Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners are creating a rewarding path to in-demand careers, such as those recently announced in a new report forecasting career trends in West Michigan through 2028.

Data compiled by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives shows West Michigan (Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Ottawa) is home to nearly 671,000 jobs and is projected to have almost 94,000 job openings every year through 2028. Of those projected openings, at least 26,000 will typically require a postsecondary certification, an associate degree or apprenticeship. 

Since Michigan Reconnect launched this February, over 80,000 state residents have been accepted into the program, including more than 10,000 in West Michigan. Futures for Frontliners had another 85,000 applicants accepted, including over 13,000 in the region, with more than 15,000 enrolled in the program. Since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the Sixty by 30 goal, the percentage of working-age adults with a certificate, associate degree or higher has increased from 45% to 49%.

“Our mission is to make the community a better place to live, learn, work and prosper,” West Shore Community College President Scott Ward said. “We can achieve that mission by providing students with skills that lead to good careers and enriched lives. We are 100% behind the state’s Sixty by 30 goal and look forward to continued collaboration with our regional and state partners to provide pathways to success for our region’s students, workers and businesses.”

Within the state’s new set of employment projections, data shows several long-term trends that will impact the region and statewide labor market. Among them are an aging population that will continue to spur demand for jobs in health care industries and occupations, the continued use of online shopping that will drive changes in the distribution of retail-related jobs, and an increase in careers that require postsecondary training or education.

Statewide data projections show Michigan’s population is expected to grow by 3.6% through 2028. This population growth, however, is expected to be combined with a sharp 28% increase in people age 65 and older. Largely because the number of residents approaching retirement age is expected to outpace the count of new residents in the state, the Michigan labor force is expected to contract by 0.2% through 2028.

The driving force of Michigan’s population change and labor force contraction will also govern the industries and occupations that will be needed most in the coming years. The aging of Michigan’s population and workforce is expected to drive demand for many medical-related industries.

In West Michigan, for example, some of the high-demand, high-wage health care occupations projected to grow the most through 2028 include respiratory therapists, which are projected to grow by 19.5% and require an associate degree to earn $25 to $31 per hour; physical therapist assistants, which are projected to grow by 15.2% and require an associate degree to earn $21 to $28 per hour; and, diagnostic medical sonographers, which are projected to grow by 11.9% and require an associate degree to earn $27 to $35 per hour.

The state’s aging trend will also impact other occupations in industries like construction and manufacturing. In West Michigan, occupations in the region with expected rates of high growth include CNC machine tool programmers, which are projected to grow by 26.7% and require a postsecondary certificate to earn $22 to $30 per hour; machinery maintenance workers, which are projected to grow by 11.5% and require an associate degree or apprenticeship to earn $19 to $30 per hour; plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, which are projected to grow by 9.8% and require an associate degree or apprenticeship to earn $19 to $31 per hour; and, sheet metal workers, which are expected to grow by 6.3% and require an associate degree or apprenticeship to earn $20 to $26 per hour.

“Future job growth in West Michigan will be concentrated in occupations requiring post-secondary education and training,” Talent 2025 President Kevin Stotts said. “Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners are essential strategies to help people move into these good jobs and ensure businesses stay competitive.”

The Sixty by 30 Talent Tour also showcased the success story of a Muskegon Community College student whose career pursuits reflect the latest trends in high-demand, high-wage jobs in growing sectors across the state.

Justin Shoemaker, 29, is an advance quality engineer for ADAC Automotive based in Muskegon. The soon-to-be married father of two young daughters, ages two and 11, is enrolled in Muskegon Community College’s (MCC) engineering program and will begin classes next winter. He plans to continue his education after completing his associate degree at MCC. The 2010 graduate of Kent City High School said he took a few college courses over the years but finally decided to get serious about completing his education so he could advance at his company. Shoemaker learned about Michigan Reconnect through his human resources department.

“My professional achievements to date have been based solely on my experience and experience can only take you so far,” he said. “The cost of education and working full time always put going to school on the back burner. For me, Michigan Reconnect removed the cost obstacle from the equation and made it so I didn’t have any more excuses. I’m looking forward to completing my education so I can provide my family with everything they deserve.” 

Michigan Reconnect is the largest effort in state history to ensure that Michiganders who are 25 or older and do not have a college degree – more than 4.1 million in all – will have an opportunity to earn an associate degree or skills certificate with free or discounted tuition. The $30 million bipartisan investment launched in February 2021 and will pay the cost of in-district tuition for eligible adults who want to pursue an associate degree or skills certificate at any of Michigan’s public community colleges, including its three tribal colleges. The program also offers skills scholarships to help cover the cost of tuition through more than 70 private training schools with 120 programs that offer certificates in high-demand careers in industries such as manufacturing, construction, information technology, health care or business management. More information is available at Michigan.gov/Reconnect.

Futures for Frontliners is a scholarship program announced by Gov. Whitmer in April 2020. The program launched last September, and more than 120,000 Michiganders submitted applications. The first program of its kind in the nation, Futures for Frontliners offers free in-district tuition to community college for Michiganders, with or without high school diplomas, who provided essential front-line services during COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe orders between April and June 2020.