As leaders, we are called to serve, to inspire others and influence outcomes - at home, at work and at play. Whether you are a coach or working the front lines at Michigan Works!, you can be the difference. It is important to have a role model for success, and someone you trust who can give you positive reinforcement and hold you accountable.

It is imperative that parents, counselors, coaches, and influencers of the state’s youth make an extra effort to regularly have meaningful conversations with students about the different career options available to them, as many Michigan students leave high school and college without the knowledge of the skills needed for high-demand, high-wage careers.

As the economy begins to recover from the effects of the pandemic, apprenticeships offer a viable answer to the skills gap and the need to reskill and retrain individuals whose jobs were adversely impacted by COVID-19.

Carrie Rosingana, CEO of Capital Area Michigan Works!, discusses the importance of implementing diversity, equity and inclusion practices in Michigan’s workplaces in this guest blog piece.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrates the ingenuity that people with disabilities bring to workplaces across the country. Ensuring that workplaces continue to include and accommodate individuals with disabilities will be an important part of the nation’s economic rebound.

In Michigan, over 1.35 million people are struggling with hunger, and over 318,000 of them are children who go to bed hungry each night. Previously, the United States had reached its peak of food insecurity during the Great Recession at 50 million people. During the 2020 pandemic, a new peak of 54 million has been reached.

When it comes to finding and boosting local talent, there is no substitute for a Michigan Works! Association Business Solutions Professional (BSP).

With the cost of child care amounting to thousands of dollars each year, low- and middle-income families are increasingly priced out of the child care market and struggle to find a program they can afford. Lower-earning families were also more likely to cite location as a reason for difficulty, which is likely due to a lack of child care infrastructure in lower-income neighborhoods and, perhaps, barriers to accessing affordable and reliable transportation. Together, these factors can constrain child care choices for low- and middle-income families.

While we don’t quite know yet what the post-COVID economy will look like, it is trending toward looking like a situation where there will be a big need for reskilling, retraining and upskilling of workers.

The Michigan Works! Association board, staff, members, and community grieve with our nation over the senseless death of George Floyd. Mr. Floyd is one of the latest in a long line of Black deaths at the hands of police officers. Michigan Works! stands with the Black community in condemning deep-rooted, systemic violence, and police brutality against our Black community members.