Futures for Frontliners + Community Colleges = Career Success

December is Career Exploration and Awareness Month in the State of Michigan and a timely opportunity to look into career options for people who are starting new careers or considering alternative pathways during this period of change. The Futures for Frontliners (F4F) program, a new initiative coordinated by Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) in collaboration with the state’s community colleges, provides eligible essential workers who do not currently have a degree to access quality education at any of Michigan’s community colleges.

About the program

F4F recognizes the contributions of frontline workers who worked outside their homes in the spring and summer of 2020 in essential industries such as healthcare, public safety, public works, grocery stores, and public transportation. By providing tuition-free college education leading to a certificate or Associate’s degree, the program supports the governor’s 60 by 30 goal to ensure that 60 percent of Michigan adults have a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2030. This will increase career opportunities and income for individuals. This program will also support economic growth by strengthening a skilled workforce that is prepared to meet the needs of employers.

Eligible applicants must register on the Futures for Frontliners website by December 31, 2020 to confirm eligibility. They then select a community college to pursue their education.

By mid- December, more than 100,000 individuals had registered, and thousands have already enrolled in classes at their local community college for the winter semester. The connection to community colleges is a critical part of the program. All the community colleges in Southeast Michigan are participating because they are leaders in career education. They are nimble, responsive to student needs and local economic trends, and they offer the sorts of supports needed for adult students to succeed.

How F4F is working in Southeast Michigan

“Community colleges are particularly suited to help individuals tap the transformative power of education. We meet students where they are, regardless of prior educational experience, and help them advance into careers in high-demand fields,” says Jim Sawyer, President of Macomb Community College. Nearly 1,000 individuals have enrolled for the semester beginning in Jan. 2021, and an additional 500 have registered with the college.

At Schoolcraft College, 1,035 students have registered for programs such as pre-nursing, nursing, criminal justice, business administration, engineering, and fire technology. “This program is important for the continued support and success of post-secondary access for students at the community college level,” says Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft. “Having an award of this type creates another avenue of access for a college degree and closing the skills gap here in the state of Michigan. Students now have the increased opportunity to get better paying jobs and add to the economic growth of the state of Michigan.”

Over 1,000 individuals have also registered for the program at Monroe County Community College, and 137 have enrolled in the winter semester for an associate’s degree in arts or technical programs including welding, nursing, and respiratory therapy. Many new students are currently working in food delivery, hotels, retail, and power plants, so these are people who have kept the economy moving. Graduates of MCCC’s nursing programs can earn $40 an hour, and welding programs offer about $28 wages with experience. Scott Behrens, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Success, at Monroe County Community College, says, “Tuition-free degrees and certificates can be the difference for working parents in transforming their lives, that of their children and future generations of their families.” Every enrolled student meets with counselors who provide guidance (either in-person or virtually) on in-demand careers as well as support services.

At Oakland Community College, 711 students have completed the required steps and registered for winter 2021 semester; more are expected to enroll before the deadline. Financial aid and admissions teams, along with counselors, will continue to assist students with the onboarding process to the college. The most popular areas of study are nursing, arts, business administration, general studies, science, health care administration and mental health/social work. Lori Przymusinski, Vice Chancellor for Student Services, Oakland Community College says F4F is, “a powerful initiative to facilitate the goals of postsecondary education set forth by Oakland 80 for Oakland County residents to enhance their skill level for upward mobility with their current employer -or- pursuit of new career opportunities. These actions will result in the enhancement of the regional workforce, paired with positive socioeconomic growth that will benefit individuals, employers and the County.”

Wayne County Community College District (WCCCD) is assisting approximately 1,500 students with registration. Many students are enrolling in the general studies program with some leaning toward allied health, computer information systems, and other short-term certificates. Many of the frontline workers found themselves displaced during the pandemic and are looking for opportunities to secure employment and support themselves. Chancellor Curtis Ivery says the program “provides students reassurance that the State of Michigan is willing to support their goals and assist them should they decide to pursue a post-secondary degree.”

While the focus of F4F is on industry-recognized certificates and associate’s degrees at community colleges, there is also a second track to offer opportunities for eligible essential workers to take high school completion or equivalency classes in addition to a technical certificate or associate’s degree. The state is partnering with over one hundred adult education programs based at school districts, literacy councils, certain community colleges including WCCCD, and other community-based agencies to offer these services. Stephanie Beckhorn, Director, Employment & Training, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity says this second track is important because it “will enable working-age adult essential workers without a high school diploma to begin a pathway to college and postsecondary success.”

To recap, there are several benefits to the Futures for Frontliners program:

• It provides tuition-free education for essential workers who have kept us safe and healthy during the pandemic at local community colleges;
• It provides a launching pad into in-demand careers;
• It supports state and local goals to increase the number of people with a degree or postsecondary certificate by 2030; and
• It helps create a workforce with in-demand skills, which is essential for Michigan’s economic recovery.

If you know of any Essential Workers who may be eligible for F4F, encourage them to apply by December 31, 2020. You can find more information about the program including eligibility requirements, participating colleges, and program criteria below:

• State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
• Henry Ford College
• Macomb Community College
• Monroe County Community College
• Oakland Community College
• Schoolcraft College
• St. Clair County Community College
• Wayne County Community College District
• Washtenaw Community College