Livonia — Michigan could become the first state in the nation to offer free access to everything from preschool to community college, if Gov. Gretchen Whitmer can convince the state Legislature to approve the plan as part of this summer's state budget. .
“If we can say that Michigan is the first place in the nation to commit to educating the highest-skilled people from four years to age 20 without incurring debt, that sends a message to the world. Tell the business community and your potential employers that this is where you want to be,'' Whitmer said Wednesday while touring the Livonia Career and Technical Center with students there. I told him after we met.
Whitmer has proposed making community college tuition free for all high school graduates. According to school staff, this move will save students an average of $4,000 by the time they earn an associate's degree or certificate at a community college, giving them access to higher-paying, high-skilled jobs. It is said that it will become.
This investment is part of Whitmer's 30 by 60 goal, which aims to ensure that 60% of working-age adults have access to post-secondary education by 2030. Whitmer acknowledged that the community college guarantee is not included in the House budget bill and said she is confident she can negotiate with Congress.
“This is a really important investment, no matter what side of the aisle you are on or what side of the state you live in,” Whitmer said. “Pathways to skills are critical to making a living in this economy.”
High school students at Livonia Technical Center focus on robotics, sports medicine, and auto repair, and some plan to attend community college, four-year universities, or enter the workforce after earning their certification. I spoke to Whitmer about this.
Alexia Guldner, a technology center student in the advanced medicine course, told Whitmer she wants to become an emergency medical technician and plans to attend Schoolcraft College after graduating this spring. Principal Lindsey Gray said students can take introductory and advanced medical courses at the tech center and can find employment after high school.
“Many students want to go to college, but the cost of tuition is high, so they get an entry-level job and have the qualifications to graduate from college,” Gray said.
Schoolcraft College President Glenn Cerny, who joined Whitmer and other leaders on the tour, said community colleges are great equalizers for all workers.
“We take talent, we take them wherever they are and we take them to the level they want to go to,” Cerny said. “We are very diverse…collectively, we are an amazing collection of individuals who have accomplished something very important.”
Cerny said community colleges partner with businesses to ensure the workforce is skilled. About 75% of his university's students are part-time students.
Regarding businesses locating in Michigan, Cerny said, “We don't want to be a losing state. We want to be a winning state.'' “It's about removing barriers and removing those barriers.” Any obstacles. ”
Parent Jamie Allen is the parent of a fourth-grade student at Livonia Public Schools and a Career Tech student in the hospitality field. Allen also has a daughter who just graduated from Schoolcraft, where he studied for two years with a scholarship and two part-time jobs.
“Like many families in this area and across the state, we weren't able to give her the money to continue her education. She knew she had to work for it,” Allen said. spoke about college graduates. “The work the governor is doing will help our students, help our families, and help future families get their children where they need to be. Education is truly a gift.”
jchambers@detroitnews.com
