GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) has announced a career training scholarship to help students gain the skills needed to prepare for in-demand jobs.
The Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship is funded through a $10 million state budget investment. Graduating high school students will be eligible to receive up to $4,000 two years to attend a career training program in Michigan.
So says Sarah Szurpicki, director of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's Office of Sixty by 30. She was a guest on West Michigan's Morning News.
"The good-paying jobs that are coming up on the horizon demand greater education and training than ever before. It's vital that we get more Michiganders educated with education beyond high school," Szurpicki said. "So, those highly skilled individuals are in extraordinary demand for careers in fields like healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing, construction, automotive - the list goes on."
Students will be able to save thousands of dollars to pursue a rewarding career that requires a certificate or credential.
"So, to receive the scholarship, students must complete a very simple online application that takes about five minutes. And indicate the eligible training programs that they would like to attend. They go show up and they can have up to $2,000 a year for two years put toward the cost of that training," Szurpicki said.
Here is more from Michigan Department of LEO's news release:
“Through programs like the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, we are preparing Michiganders for rewarding careers in high-demand industries while supporting businesses with the highly skilled talent they need to compete and grow,” said Susan Corbin, director of LEO. “Investments like these are critical to helping fuel the jobs that are vital to our state’s economic momentum and our goals to expand economic prosperity to all.”
Eligible career training programs were selected to ensure students will receive training and skills that will ultimately lead to in-demand jobs with high paying wages.
“There should be a path for every Michigan high school graduate to pursue education after high school, which is increasingly a necessity for good wages in high-demand jobs. The Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship provides yet another opportunity for students to pursue their dreams,” said Sarah Szurpicki, director of LEO’s Office of Sixty by 30. “As we continue to move Michigan forward, it is also helping get us closer to the state’s Sixty by 30 goal of having 60% of adults with an industry-recognized skill certificate or college degree by 2030.”
To apply, interested students must complete an application through the Michigan Student Aid Student Scholarships and Grants portal (MiSSG), administered through the Michigan Department of Treasury.
“The Michigan Achievement Scholarship has been a great addition to the breadth of tuition-assistance scholarships managed by MI Student Aid, reducing the costs for students to attend an eligible Michigan college or university by thousands of dollars,” said Diann Cosme, director of Student Scholarships, Grants and Outreach for the Treasury. “The Skills Scholarship offers another pathway to this program, and I encourage any student who has recently graduated with their high school diploma or equivalency to take the step to see if they qualify, view eligible programs and apply for this incredible opportunity.”
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship, applicants must:
- Be a Michigan resident for at least the immediately preceding year.
- Have graduated from high school in Michigan with a diploma or a certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after.
- Have not yet earned an associate or bachelor’s degree.
- Have not yet earned a degree, certificate, or other credential with this scholarship.
Students should review the list of eligible career training programs at Michigan.gov/CareerTraining prior to filling out their application and will need to indicate their chosen career training provider in the application.
To learn more about how students can receive tuition assistance through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship visit Michigan.gov/Achievement.
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