Michigan Skills

Michigan Skills · school, training and work

Michigan has so many resources. We put them all in one place.

Free college classes in high school. A free 13th year. Free community college. Apprenticeships that pay you from day one. Money for employers who train. It all exists in this state, but it's spread across dozens of agencies, 56 intermediate school districts, 500-plus local districts, 31 colleges and hundreds of training programs, so it's hard to find. We gathered it here, in one fell swoop, in plain English.

Show me where I am on the map

Five things most people miss Find where you are Guides by reader
Michigan Skills map: routes across Michigan with stops for school, college, tech, health, the trades and careers

Five things most Michigan families never hear about

  1. Two free online classes every academic term, starting in grade 6. Not two total. Two per academic term (semester or trimester), paid for by your district. How it works
  2. A free 13th year of high school that ends with an associate degree. It's called Early Middle College, and you have to plan for it by grade 10. How it works
  3. Career and technical education (CTE) can replace Algebra II and a world language toward graduation, when the approved program covers the same skills. Hands-on classes and college prep can share one schedule. How it works
  4. Community college is free for every graduate since 2023 and, as of this year, for adults 21 and older without a degree. How it works
  5. Employers can be reimbursed for training new hires, often half their wages during training, through your local Michigan Works! office. How it works

Step 1 · find yourself

You are here

Michigan's options work like a transit map: five lines that cross and all end at a good job. Tell us where you're standing and the map lights up every stop you can reach from there.

Michigan skills pathways as a transit map Five lines lead to a skilled career. The school line runs from career exploration in middle school through high school courses to a university. The college credit line runs from dual enrollment to an Early Middle College 13th year to free community college. The trades line runs from career and technical education at an ISD tech center to a registered apprenticeship. The adult line runs from adult education to Michigan Reconnect or Michigan Works! training and joins the apprenticeship station. The employer line runs from hosting student work-based learning to sponsoring apprentices to getting reimbursed for training. Middle school High school Year 13 or after Training The goal Career explorationPlan starts in grade 7 AP + free virtual courses Graduate University Dual enrollmentCollege classes, district pays Early Middle CollegeFree 13th year Free communitycollege CTE at an ISD tech centerWelding, health, IT, auto, more Youth or pre-apprenticeship Registered apprenticeshipUnion or open shop, paid Adult ed or GEDFree Reconnect or Michigan Works! Host student internships Sponsor apprentices Get reimbursed to train Skilled career in Michigan
School line College credit line Trades line Adult line Employer line Transfer point

Or read the guide for you

Each page is written for one kind of reader and is free to read in full.

A student in grades 6-12Free college credit, CTE, virtual classes and what to ask your counselor. A parent or guardianWhat your district has to offer, what it costs you (usually nothing) and the deadlines. Just graduatedFree community college, the Achievement Scholarship and paid apprenticeships. An adult who wants a new skillMichigan Reconnect, Michigan Works!, finishing a diploma and switching careers. Interested in the tradesUnion and open-shop apprenticeships, what each trade pays you to learn and licensing. An employer who needs workersRegister an apprenticeship, get reimbursed for training and work with schools. A teacher, counselor or coachCTE, community college, mentors and job center staff. Tools and talking points. Curious how the money worksPer-pupil funding for regular students versus CTE students, and who pays for what.

Quick answers

What free training and education does Michigan offer?

A lot. Students get free online courses from grade 6, college classes the district pays for from grade 9 and a possible free 13th year that ends in an associate degree. Graduates since 2023 and adults 21 and older can get free in-district community college, and registered apprenticeships pay you while you learn.

Source: MI Student Aid

Who is Michigan Skills for?

Students, parents, adults changing careers, employers and the teachers, counselors and job center staff who help them. Each group has its own plain-English guide, and the You Are Here planner builds a personal plan by county and grade.

Source: About Michigan Skills

Is Michigan Skills a government website?

No. Michigan Skills is a free, independent guide. It doesn't run any of the programs it describes, and every fact links to the agency, law or program that publishes it, so you can confirm details before you apply.

Source: About Michigan Skills

Where do I start if I don't know what my child wants to do?

Start with what they enjoy, not a career. The You Are Here planner asks what they love doing and suggests camps, robotics teams and programs near you to try first, plus a grade-by-grade checklist. Not knowing yet is normal.

Source: Michigan Skills planner

The Michigan Skills newsletter

Worth knowing, when we find it.

New programs, money people don't know they can claim, camps and paths explained in plain English. For parents, students, adults, employers and the people who help them. No set schedule: we send it when there's something worth your time. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.

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