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Every day more Michigan employers are joining the “Race to Talent™.” Inside Track shares how these partners distinguish their current training in “Registered Apprenticeship Programs”, to help them win the race.

In Michigan, an employer can turn their existing training into Registered Apprenticeship Program as easy as 1, 2, 3!

GET READY – GET SET – GROW!

IN THIS ISSUE…

• In the Driver's Seat
• Fueled Up Funding Opportunities
• Linking Registered Apprenticeships to Degrees and Credentials
• Winners Circle
• Racing Team Partner
• Make Your MARC!
• Race to Talent™ Events
• Upcoming Events
• Check the Rearview Mirror
• Tune-Up Tips

In the Driver's Seat

Partners’ extraordinary efforts are turbocharging Michigan’s Registered Apprenticeship outcomes as participation continues to climb. This momentum is reflected in the data, which indicates a shift into a higher gear and an increase in industry demand.

• Active Programs: 841
• Active Employers: 1,708
• Active Apprentices: 24,269
• New Programs: 23
• New Occupations: 92
• New Apprentices: 5,319
• Completers: 2,334

Updated June 22, 2026

Fueled Up Funding Opportunities

Explore the following funding opportunities designed to expand Registered Apprenticeships:

• American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund
  • Application Opened: Jan. 28, 2026
  • Application Deadline: applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. 

Linking Registered Apprenticeships to Degrees and Credentials

Linking a Registered Apprenticeship to college degrees and industry credentials elevates business value. This combination removes hiring friction by letting an employer vet and train workers in exact operations while they earn academic advancement, securing a deeply loyal, highly qualified pool of future company leaders without competitive open-market recruiting. This strategic model is already gaining massive statewide momentum. Michigan recently celebrated a major milestone for the College Credit for Apprenticeships Program, an initiative bridging the gap between Registered Apprenticeship Programs and higher education. Already, 10 trade unions and 24 community colleges have signed up to participate. Whether your industry requires advanced safety certifications, technical software credentials or specialized mastery validation, integrating these milestones into the curriculum ensures Related Instruction never exists in a vacuum. Each stacked credential keeps employees motivated by providing a clear, visible achievement in their career progression, validating their expertise both within your organization and across the broader industry.

Ready to maximize RAP benefits?

Distinguish your existing training into a Registered Apprenticeship Program by following three easy steps.

1. Get Ready
   • Complete an Employer Interest Form
   • Identify needed occupations
   • Select critical skills
2. Get Set
   • Join a Group Sponsor or start your own
   • Confirm Related Instruction
   • Identify mentors & select apprentices
3. Grow
   • Transfer critical knowledge & skills
   • Offer industry-recognized credentials
   • Retain current & attract new employees

For more information on the three steps to Registered Apprenticeship, go to Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship or email apprenticeship@michigan.gov.

Winners Circle

Kayla's Registered Apprenticeship Journey Early Childhood Education registered apprentice Kayla became the first in her program to earn both her CDA and a USDOL Registered Apprenticeship credential at Shining Star Pre-School. Supported by Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works!, she is now tackling a second Registered Apprenticeship to become Center Director, proving RAPs cultivate elite internal talent. Read more about Kayla here.

If you have a Registered Apprenticeship success story or want to highlight your company's work with Registered Apprenticeships, please send a request to apprenticeship@michigan.gov.

Racing Team Partner

Expanding Opportunities Through Registered Apprenticeship Alana Anderson, Director at Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA), designed an innovative Registered Apprenticeship Program enabling transition-age students to secure full-time, benefited custodial employment. Endorsed with the Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Credential (MARC), Alana's customized model strengthens the local talent pipeline and is expanding to other Michigan school districts. Read more about Alana’s work here.

If you would like to be featured as a partner or know someone who should be featured, please let us know by emailing apprenticeship@michigan.gov.

Make Your MARC!

Zaman International continues to set a premier standard for workforce development through its suite of programs endorsed by the Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Credential (MARC). Operating in Wayne County across the manufacturing and hospitality sectors, Zaman provides highly structured training pathways, including an Alteration Tailor track with a specialized ESL focus. Their multi-level MARC frameworks seamlessly connect determined talent to Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Level II graduates receive 120 hours of on-the-job learning credit to accelerate their careers. To date, Zaman’s programs have generated 23 MARC certificates, moving six pre-apprenticeship completers into full journeys and actively supporting eight active registered apprentices.

Ready to fill your talent pipeline? Discover how to become MARC-endorsed and gain access to a pool of job-ready candidates by visiting the MARC webpage.

Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Credential The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Workforce Development (LEO-WD), based on guidance from the Michigan Apprenticeship Advisory Body, endorses high-quality apprenticeship readiness programs with a Michigan Apprenticeship Readiness Credential (MARC).  The MARC is an official endorsement that acts as a quality stamp for Apprenticeship Readiness programming. It confirms that an Apprenticeship Readiness program completer has the foundational skills employers deem are essential for entry into and successful completion of a Registered Apprenticeship Program. MARC endorsement levels are not sequential. They are distinct program endorsements, each with their own specific value.

MARC LEADERBOARD Table

New MARC endorsements this month

Visit the MARC webpage for a full list of partners who are Making Their MARC!

Race to Talent™ Events

Successful Race to Talent™ events bring together business, labor, education, community and workforce development leaders who contribute to an in-depth discussion around stakeholder benefits from using the Registered Apprenticeship training model to grow needed talent for business success. Event participants contribute by following a structured outline proven to:

• Raise Awareness of the numerous stakeholders' benefits the training model provides
• Recognize Partners by introducing those in the region and/or sectors already using the model to accelerate skill development and business success
• Recruit New Partners whose organizations can benefit from using the training model

Michigan Works! Agencies team up with local employers for Race to Talent™ success

The power of regional collaboration was on full display as the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) and Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works! hosted the Race to Talent™ event during National Apprenticeship Week at the historic Ford House. Facilitated by Jennifer Tucker (SEMCA) and Karen Helfrick (Macomb/St. Clair), the session provided the nearly 80 attendees critical insights on state resources, including the Going PRO Talent Fund and LEO apprenticeship expansion efforts. The highlight of the day was an interactive panel featuring candid testimonials from regional employers with Registered Apprenticeship Programs, including Romeo Rim, Serve Electric and Synergy Prototype Stamping, alongside Tool and Die Maker registered apprentice Austin. Panelists discussed culture integration, recruitment strategies and long-term retention. The event concluded with a special apprentice recognition and the presentation of Registered Apprenticeship Crystal Champion trophies to the featured panelists, celebrating their exceptional leadership in driving regional talent growth through Registered Apprenticeship.

If you have planned, hosted or attended a Race to Talent™ event help us highlight the impact of these events by sharing your experience at apprenticeship@michigan.gov.

Upcoming Events

Michigan CTE Summer Conference 2026

Hosted By: Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education
Location: Boyne Mountain Resort, Boyne Falls, MI
Date: August 2-4, 2026

The Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education (MI-ACTE) Summer Conference is Michigan’s premier summer professional learning event for Career and Technical Education (CTE) leaders, teachers and counselors. Building on the strong participation, high-quality programming, and practical takeaways that have defined prior years, the Summer Conference continues to be the state’s signature summer venue for CTE administrators, teachers, and counselors to connect, collaborate, and return home with strategies that can be implemented immediately.

New for this year, the conference expands intentionally to welcome postsecondary CTE administrators, faculty and adjunct instructors, with an intentional commitment to ensuring special populations are included through collaborative and team-based sessions.

Michigan Works 2026 Annual Conference

Hosted By: Michigan Works! Association
Location: Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mt Pleasant, MI
Date: September 14-16, 2026

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of Michigan’s largest workforce development conference and make the connections you need to drive your business forward. Join the Michigan Works! Association as they celebrate partnership, trust and collaboration between the thousands of agencies that continue to strengthen, train and support Michigan's workforce.

Check the Rearview Mirror

May 14, 2026: Michigan Works! Southeast, in partnership with Jackson College, hosted a Race to Talent™ event highlighting successful Registered Apprenticeship Programs and recognizing apprenticeship champions MACI, Technique, Gerdau and Lomar for their workforce development efforts.

May 16, 2026: State Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Rep. Regina Weiss hosted a Lower Costs, Higher Wages Townhall, where attendees learned about resources to support economic mobility, including job training and Registered Apprenticeship opportunities, tuition assistance programs, free pre-K enrollment, and other tools to help families build a stronger financial future.

May 19, 2026: Capital Area Michigan Works! hosted a Race to Talent™ event where employers learned directly from Registered Apprenticeship Sponsors about developing and administering Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Apprenticeship Champion Recognition Awards were presented to community employers.

May 19–21, 2026: The Michigan Educators Apprenticeship and Training Association (MEATA) hosted its 2026 Spring Conference, "Charting the Course: Apprenticeship and Education in Action," bringing together educators, industry leaders, Registered Apprenticeship professionals, and workforce innovators for three days of collaboration, professional development and knowledge sharing focused on strengthening Michigan’s talent pipeline through Registered Apprenticeship and education.

May 20, 2026: Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! hosted a Race to Talent™ event to honor local employers with Registered Apprenticeship Crystal Champion awards. This recognition celebrates businesses whose vital investments in Registered Apprenticeship Programs continue to strengthen the region’s workforce talent pipeline.

May 23, 2026: The Carpenters Construction Combine at Comerica Park brought together approximately 1,700 participants for a hands-on workforce development event that promoted Registered Apprenticeship, MiCRI and PROWD, providing opportunities to explore construction careers, develop practical skills through industry-led activities, and connect directly with employers seeking to hire and train the next generation of skilled trades professionals.

May 27, 2026: Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! hosted a Race to Talent™ event focused on strengthening partnerships and expanding Registered Apprenticeship opportunities through regional collaboration.

May 27, 2026: Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works! hosted a Race to Talent™ Manufacturing Roundtable that engaged manufacturers in discussions on workforce challenges and apprenticeship-driven talent solutions.

Tune-Up Tips

Resources to help you get started in Registered Apprenticeship.

US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship (USDOL OA)

The one-stop national source for connecting career seekers, employers, and education partners with national apprenticeship resources. Discover Registered Apprenticeships across industries, how programs are started by employers, and how to become an apprentice.

Michigan Works! Apprenticeship Success Coordinators

Contact your local Michigan Works! Apprenticeship Success Coordinator to assist your company with developing a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

Registered Apprenticeship Interest Form

Want to learn more about Registered Apprenticeship? Please use the link to be contacted by a local Michigan Works! Apprenticeship Success Coordinator who can answer any questions you may have about RAPS.

Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) provides the connections, expertise and innovative solutions to drive continued business growth, build vibrant communities, create affordable housing, generate tourism and attract and retain key talent to fill Michigan’s vast pipeline of opportunities. LEO’s mission statement is to expand economic opportunity and prosperity for all.

Michigan State Approving Agency

Find information about employers, skilled trades and training providers approved for veteran educational benefits through the GI Bill.

Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MiOSHA)

This website serves as a resource where employers can find preliminary information about MiOSHA-reported fatalities, enabling them to build more hazard awareness and reduce the risk of similar workplace incidents.

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