Kalamazoo Times

The State of Michigan has launched a $6 million bipartisan investment to help first-time college students and working-age adults going back to school.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II was on hand recently at Washtenaw Community College to highlight the investments in the Michigan Reconnect and the Futures for Frontliners programs, a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said.

Gilchrist noted that he hopes every resident in the state gets informed about the programs and that the grants are an example of how the government is attempting to help everyone prosper.

“Michigan Reconnect is helping tens of thousands of hardworking people take the first step toward a brighter future, and it is providing employers with the highly skilled workers they need to keep and grow their businesses throughout the state of Michigan,” he said in the release.

Phil Santer, Ann Arbor SPARK senior vice president and chief of staff, believes that Michigan Reconnect will be crucial to economic growth in the Ann Arbor area and beyond.

“The reliability and adaptability of talent is a key factor in keeping existing jobs in a community, and in attracting new companies to a region,” he said in the release. “The talent pipeline is strong in the greater Ann Arbor region. Michigan Reconnect and this new investment will make it even stronger.”

Sarah Szurpicki, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Sixty by 30, was also on hand for the announcement.

“We admire all those Michiganders who have used Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners to take the first step to achieve their educational dreams,” she said in the release. “We know it’s not an easy path, and we want to keep providing the support they need. This is a critical investment to help more people successfully complete a certificate or degree program. By removing barriers to education, we can help more hardworking Michiganders stay on the path to bigger paychecks and a successful future.”