For employers, training centers, colleges, ISDs and funders
Meet Michigan's next workforce while they're choosing.
Parents, students and adults come here and tell us where they are, what interests them and which county they live in. Then they build a plan. Partners help keep this free for every family, and in return they show up at the exact moment someone picks their trade, their program or their region.
Already listed? You always will be.
What never changes, no matter who pays
Michigan Skills only works because families and counselors trust it. So partnership buys visibility, never the truth:
- Every public program stays listed, free. Union training centers, tech centers, colleges and state programs are on the map whether or not they partner.
- Nobody pays to rank. The order of programs in guides and plans is based on fit, never money.
- Sponsored spots are labeled as sponsored, every time.
- We never sell personal information. Introductions only happen when an adult checks a box asking to be connected with a named partner.
- Students' information is never shared with anyone.
Why now
The money is moving. The map is missing.
- In July 2026, BlackRock, Carhartt, Ford and Google launched the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades in Detroit. BlackRock Future Builders alone committed $100 million over five years to nonprofit and workforce partners. Microsoft, NVIDIA, AT&T and others joined in September.
- The Alliance's national report found that for every 100 skilled trades workers needed, training programs produce 55, and named unclear pathways as part of the problem.
- GM committed $50 million in Michigan through 2030, including helping more people move into skilled trades.
- Michigan already pays for most of the training. Families just can't find it. That's the gap this map fills.
Michigan Skills is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company named here.
Sources: BlackRock, July 21, 2026 · Ford, Sept. 30, 2026 · GM, May 26, 2026
How this fits with the state's tools
Michigan already offers two good free tools: LEO's Pathfinder (careers and wages) and MEDC's Michigan Career Portal (job matching). Michigan Skills doesn't replace them. It covers what they don't: every school option from grade 6 up, the money behind each one, apprenticeships and unions, and a plain-English plan built around your county. And it sends people to those tools when they're the right next step.
Who partners
Employers
Manufacturers, contractors, health systems and utilities who need apprentices, interns and new hires, and want to be known by the families in their county years before they apply.
Union training centers and apprenticeship sponsors
Reach people right when they pick your trade, and fill your next application window with applicants who already understand how apprenticeship works.
Community colleges and training providers
Dual enrollment, Early Middle College, Reconnect and Workforce Pell programs, shown to the people in your district who qualify for them.
ISDs and school districts
Put your programs, deadlines and counselor contacts in front of every family in your county, with links and QR codes for open houses and conferences.
Foundations and civic groups
Keep the map free for families and sponsor a region, a path (like the middle school path) or a translation.
Workforce and economic development
See what people in your region want before they enroll anywhere, and point them to the right door.
Ways to partner
Founding partners lock in first-year rates. Ask for the one-page overview.
Featured partner
- Featured placement in personal plans when someone picks your trade or program in your counties
- An "Applications open" banner during your recruiting window
- A quarterly report on interest in your field across your region
- Founding partner recognition, with your approval
- Opt-in introductions to adults who ask to be connected (launching with founding partners)
County edition
- Your tech center, Early Middle College and dual enrollment details pre-loaded in every plan for your county
- Direct links and QR codes for open houses, conferences and counselor meetings
- A counselor and family-night session on using the map
- Anonymous reports on what your families are asking about
Regional interest report
- Anonymous, aggregate answers to "what do people here want?" by county, grade or age group and career area
- Useful for program planning, recruiting and grant applications
- Never includes names, emails or anything that identifies a person
Community sponsor
- Underwrite a region, a path or a translation of the map
- Recognition on the pages you sponsor
- Impact reporting: how many families used what you funded
Not an organization? Get involved anyway
- Mentor a robotics team. Michigan has 531 FIRST high school teams, and most need engineers, machinists and electricians. FIRST in Michigan
- Join a CTE advisory committee at your ISD tech center. Every approved program needs people from the industry.
- Open your shop for MFG Day in October, or host a student for work-based learning.
- Volunteer with Junior Achievement or your local college access network through MCAN.
- Show up. Speak at a school board meeting about Early Middle College or CTE, and vote on your ISD's CTE millage. It's the single biggest reason one county has a great tech center and the next one doesn't.
Start a conversation
Sponsoring, partnering, bringing Michigan Skills to your district, adding a program or fixing something we got wrong: tell us here. You can also email hello@michiganskills.com.
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