More than 1,800 Michiganders are working in new jobs, and nearly 3,100 have earned credentials that open doors to better careers. Those outcomes reflect a statewide workforce strategy built around employer leadership, measurable results, and cross-sector collaboration.
The U.S. Chamber Foundation is honoring that progress by presenting the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) with the inaugural Excellence in Impact Award. The award recognizes states and regions that demonstrate outstanding leadership in scaling employer-driven workforce development strategies with measurable results.
Recognizing Michigan’s Leadership
When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer launched Michigan's workforce plan in 2024, the goals were clear: help more Michiganders earn credentials, secure good jobs, and meet employers' talent needs. Michigan LEO advanced that vision by embedding the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) framework as a central pillar of the state's workforce strategy.
TPM applies supply chain principles to workforce development. It enables employers to plan for labor demand, define credential needs, align training programs, and continuously improve talent pipelines. Michigan didn't just adopt the model — it expanded it statewide.
The results are significant: more than 60 employer-led collaboratives representing more than 1,500 employers, more than 5,100 training participants, approximately 3,100 credentials earned, and more than 1,800 people placed in jobs.
A Statewide Impact Across Industries and Communities
Michigan LEO's selection for this award reflects not just outcomes, but the scale and reach of its work. TPM adoption spans industries including energy, healthcare, childcare, construction, automotive, and public safety. It reaches communities from Detroit to Kalamazoo to the Thumb region.
The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium (MEWDC) is the state's longest-running employer-led collaborative. After adopting TPM in 2015, MEWDC helped create Michigan's Energy Career Cluster, shortened training timelines, and improved assessment pass rates among underrepresented communities. More than 1,450 Energy Industry Fundamentals certificates have been earned, and more than 1,150 people have been hired into energy sector roles.
Across the state, the same model is delivering results:
- In Kalamazoo, an early childhood education pathway filled 94 vacancies with a 73% retention rate. The employer-led collaborative grew from six to 14 employer partners over four years, and 36 ELP professionals have enrolled in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), with 12 already completing their certification.
- In the Thumb region, a healthcare collaborative enrolled 316 participants and 61% of graduates secured jobs.
- In West Michigan, revitalized EMT and law enforcement training programs helped employers fill long-standing vacancies.
Why This Matters for State Economies
Michigan's results show what's possible when workforce development is treated as an economic strategy. Employers gain clearer signals about the talent they need. Education and training partners can align programs to real demand. Workers earn credentials connected to jobs. And the state builds momentum toward its goal of 60% credential attainment by 2030.
That kind of progress doesn't just benefit individuals. It strengthens the industries and communities that drive a state's economy. From energy to healthcare to construction, Michigan employers are growing because they have the workforce to do it.
“Behind every number is a person with a clearer path to a good career and real economic opportunity. Michigan will keep leading,” Lyzenga added.
A Model for the Nation
The U.S. Chamber Foundation is proud to recognize Michigan LEO as the inaugural recipient of the Excellence in Impact Award. We celebrate the employers, educators, and workforce professionals, and state leaders who helped make this progress possible. Michigan’s example offers a lesson for the nation: when employers lead, workforce systems become more responsive, workers get clearer pathways to opportunity, and communities grow stronger.
About the author
Victoria Andreasen
Victoria Andreasen is a communications intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
