Through the Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP), individuals affected by the pandemic will have the opportunity to earn training credentials to advance their careers. MiLEAP funds will assist job seekers in transitioning from education and training programs to high-skill, high-wage careers, resulting in industry-recognized credential attainment and reduced educational debt. 

Michigan Works! West Central is partnering with a regional consortium to provide this funding to those who qualify. Consortium members include Ferris State University, Mecosta-Osceola Intermediate School District/Meceola Tech and West Shore Community College, as well as a wide variety of regional employers and training providers. 

“Individuals who were employed at the onset of the pandemic but did not have the right training credentials, were potentially the first to be laid off by employers. With the help of this program, we can help those clients attain high-level skills that lead to better employment,” said Shelly Keene, executive director of Michigan Works! West Central. “The goal of MiLEAP is to engage those hit hardest by the pandemic and develop meaningful opportunities to reconnect them to the workforce.”

MiLEAP focuses on individuals who are dislocated, underemployed, essential workers, living in distressed communities and those who are economically disadvantaged. Michigan Works! West Central’s MiLEAP Navigator will provide eligible clients with assistance in assessing and overcoming barriers, identifying resources, and providing guidance and support. MiLEAP participants also will receive individualized competency-based assessments and learning plans to successfully navigate the programs and complete training. 

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) recently awarded more than $15.6 million for MiLEAP to 10 groups across the state that will work as regional consortiums to administer the training funds. Funds in the program will be available through June 2023. 

"Along with Futures for Frontliners and Michigan Reconnect, MiLEAP is an innovative approach to providing education and training opportunities to support Michiganders," LEO Acting Director Susan Corbin said in a statement. "By offering training that is customized to the individual, MiLEAP will enable participants to take the next step on their pathway to financial security."

MiLEAP aligns with Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree to 60 percent by 2030. LEO estimates that MiLEAP will help more than 5,000 job seekers across the state advance their careers.

Residents in Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola counties looking for more information about MiLEAP, eligibility requirement and how to apply, can contact Michigan Works! West Central’s MiLEAP Navigator at (231) 791-7061. Information about MiLEAP also can be found at MWWC.org/MiLEAP.