Making Michigan
A Talent Leader

Level Up Michigan is a non-governmental, non-partisan initiative to boost postsecondary and skill attainment and make Michigan a talent leader.

Michigan Needs to Level Up

Michigan’s overall competitiveness has declined as fewer students pursue education and skills beyond high school.
Reversing this trend is essential to strengthening our economy and expanding opportunity statewide.
In Per Capita Income
0 th
Workforce with College Degrees
0 th
College Enrollment After High School
0 %
Median Income Below Nations Average
0 %

The Challenge: No Plan B

  • Michigan’s rank among the states in per capita income has plummeted from 19th to 40th since 2000, the lowest in the Midwest.
  • Median family income has fallen from 106% of the national average in 2000 to 91% today.
  • Michigan has dropped to 37th in the nation for the percentage of its workforce with a college degree.
  • In 2015, 66% of Michigan’s high school students enrolled in a university or community college within six months of graduating. Today that number has dropped to 53%.
These relative declines in income and college attainment are connected. As the final report of the Governor’s Council on Growing Michigan Together stated: “To increase household median income, we must also increase our postsecondary education attainment, which is directly correlated with higher-paying jobs and the ability to recruit the next generation of employers.” If we fail to reverse Michigan’s relative decline in college and skill attainment, there is no Plan B to rescue our future.

A Coalition to Position Michigan to Compete for Good-Paying Jobs of the Future

Sarah
 Anthony

State Senator

Sandy K. 
Baruah

CEO, Detroit Chamber

Ryan 
Fewins-Bliss

Executive Director,
 MCAN

Chandra Madafferi

President, 
MEA

Kevin
 Stotts

President, 
Talent First

Level Up Michigan Partners

A Major Opportunity
for Michigan Families

Level Up Michigan is currently leading a statewide campaign to improve Michganians’ awareness that “Michigan offers two years of free college and job skill training” owing to the state’s new Community College Guarantee.

Survey research indicates too many parents and students reject post-secondary options in the belief they are too expensive. Michigan is the only state in the Great Lakes region that offers two extra years of education tuition free. Only an estimated 30% of Michiganians know it.

This campaign includes both mass marketing to boost awareness as well as coalition-building of business, labor, education, community, and governmental organizations that can approach Michiganians as employees, customers, members, and constituents to share this good news.
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Contact Us

For general Inquiries, please complete the form or contact our Level Up Michigan! management team:

Doug Ross, Diploma Equity Project doug42ross@gmail.com

Melissa Hamann, Diploma Equity Project mhamann@diplomaequityproject.org

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