Published
December 04, 2024
It’s hard to believe we are already celebrating the 10th anniversary of Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) – it seems like this amazing workforce development program launched just yesterday. But given the incredible impact and tremendous results it has already produced, we’re excited for the long-term benefits it will deliver for our nation’s employers, education providers, and most importantly for students and workers.
Michigan is a proud leader of demand-driven workforce development strategies and a pioneer of a collaborative approach that brings all stakeholders to the table. Since 2003, groups of Michigan employers within the same industry or region have partnered with workforce and education systems to identify talent needs and challenges, and to create targeted recruitment, employment, and training programs.
While Employer-Led Collaboratives (ELC) were not new to Michigan, the introduction of TPM was a game changer for the state and existing collaboratives. Over the past decade, use of the model has expanded throughout Michigan, guiding more than 60 ELCs in virtually every key industry from automobile manufacturing to early childhood education.
Talent Pipeline Management Comes to Michigan
The Michigan Energy Workforce Development Consortium (MEWDC), in partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO), was an early adopter of the TPM approach.
In May 2015, seven years into MEWDC’s tenure, it was one of seven regional partners supported by the U.S. Chamber Foundation to participate in a national pilot that led to the consortium creating an Energy Career Cluster to enhance awareness of the availability and benefits of skilled jobs in the energy industry. The priority today is aimed at the high school level, providing a visible pathway directly into jobs or into post-secondary programs where they can earn a certificate or degree.
In October 2017, the U.S. Chamber Foundation and Consumers Energy hosted the first-ever, state-based TPM Academy® in Michigan, with a group of 20 leaders from organizations across the state. Consumers Energy, one of the original pilot members and a MEWDC leader, successfully used this approach in 2015 when it identified a need for skilled electric and gas lines worker positions. The result: 100 qualified hires over two years reporting retention rates hovering around 98% and savings of $30,000 per hire.
The consortium’s ongoing efforts are critical as stakeholders work together to develop training solutions that benefit our state’s workers — offering pathways to financial security for themselves and their families — and providing employers with access to a large pool of highly-skilled workers to ensure all Michiganders have access to clean, reliable energy.
In 2020, Consumers Energy transferred leadership of the Talent Pipeline Management initiative in Michigan to LEO, recognizing its extensive experience in demand-driven workforce development. Since then, LEO, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber Foundation, has spearheaded the initiative by integrating TPM into its sector strategies work with ELCs and. hosting a Career Readiness Talent Pipeline Management Academy. This initiative aimed at strengthening talent pipelines by enhancing alignment between employers and education providers. As a result, over 300 employers have participated in training more than 2,100 individuals, who have collectively earned over 2,000 credentials. Furthermore, employment has reached 95% of the target, with more than 1,400 individuals from historically underserved populations receiving career development services, training and/or securing employment.
Delivering Results
With the TPM model supporting efforts, Michigan’s ELCs are playing a critical role in growing our economy. As the state that “put the world on wheels,” transportation, mobility, manufacturing, energy and other related industries are essential to our state’s economic future. One of Michigan’s more recent ELC, Electric Vehicle Jobs Academy, has more than 100 partners including employers, labor, industry stakeholders and education institutions. In April 2024, Michigan received national attention when President Biden announced it as one of four new Workforce Hubs aimed at preparing Michigan's workforce for well-paying, unionized jobs in the auto sector. The collaborative is driving the state’s advanced mobility talent development to secure Michigan’s place as the global leader in mobility and transportation.
But ELCs also support our efforts to diversify many other sectors of the state’s economy.
- Food & Agriculture: Michigan’s food and agriculture industries — which contribute more than $100 billion annually to the state’s economy — now employ nearly 100,000 individuals, a 17% increase since 2011.
- Hospitality & Tourism: This industry is now responsible for almost 10% of all employment in Michigan.
- Healthcare: We also have several employer-led collaboratives supporting our healthcare sector, which accounts for nearly one in six private jobs in Michigan. Over the past decade, healthcare employment has grown by about 43,000 jobs and, importantly, displayed resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are proud to have helped establish the TPM approach as a vital tool in workforce development. Even more, we are excited about the future growth and success it will bring to Michigan’s — and our nation’s — workers, businesses and industries.
