Michigan Works! Association Celebrates $25 Million Going PRO Talent Fund Investment to Train Michigan’s Workforce

Nearly 450 businesses partner with local Michigan Works! Agencies to train more than 12,800 Michiganders

[LANSING, Mich.—Dec. 17, 2025] The Michigan Works! Association is pleased to recognize the announcement of $25 million in state funding for the latest round of the Going PRO Talent Fund grants. This latest cycle of awards will support 449 businesses statewide as they train 8,657 current employees and 4,165 new hires—including 3,097 Registered Apprentices—helping employers grow while opening doors to good-paying, in-demand careers for Michiganders.

The Going PRO Talent Fund is a reimbursement program that helps Michigan businesses recover the costs of completed employee training. Because funds are only distributed after training is successfully delivered, the program ensures responsible use of taxpayer dollars and supports proven workforce investments.

“The Going PRO Talent Fund is a powerful example of workforce development at its best: employer-driven training delivered through strong local partnerships,” said Ryan Hundt, CEO of the Michigan Works! Association. “When businesses collaborate with their local Michigan Works! Agency, they can quickly design training that meets real needs—keeping talent here and helping workers advance.”

In October, 3,100 businesses signed on to an Association-led effort to preserve this opportunity to upskill workers in their communities. Their unequivocal opposition to House-backed cuts to the program helped rejuvenate bipartisan support for its ultimate restoration.

“I would love to thank the many local advocates who stood with us in making today’s funding possible,” Hundt said. “Although Going PRO Talent Fund was cut by $22 million in the FY26 budget, we are as committed as ever to serving businesses through this grant with the same level of customer service as we do with our career seekers every day.”

Since its launch in 2014, the Michigan Works! Association has led the way in advocating for statewide support for the Going PRO initiative, which has invested $323.4 million in 8,966 businesses and supported training for more than 241,600 Michigan workers to date. The program prioritizes short-term, industry-recognized credentials that lead to better jobs, stronger wages, and long-term career stability; workers completing Going PRO–supported training see an average hourly wage increase of 6.2 percent.

Small businesses continued to benefit significantly during this round of awards: 88 percent of awards in this cycle went to employers with fewer than 500 employees, and more than half went to businesses with fewer than 100 employees.

Crucially, Going PRO grants are delivered in partnership with local Michigan Works! Agencies. Employers define their training priorities and work hand in hand with Michigan Works! professionals and regional partners to build strategic plans that deliver results. As Krista Johnson, LEO Workforce Development Director, noted, the Talent Fund also connects employers to additional resources that support long-term workforce growth.

“There are few investments that benefit both sides of the workforce development equation like the Going PRO Talent Fund, which is why we are so proud to play a part in facilitating these grants,” said Capital Area Michigan Works! CEO Carrie Rosingana. “Businesses get a stronger workforce, workers get more skills and better pay, and communities in Greater Lansing and around the state get stronger local economies.”

The Going PRO Talent Fund advances the goals of the Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan. Michigan continues to lead the Midwest in access to employment services, ranks first nationally in adult credential attainment, and places third nationwide for helping adults secure jobs.

A full list of Fiscal Year 2026 Cycle 1 grant recipients is available at Michigan.gov/TalentFund. A second funding cycle will open in Spring 2026.

# # #

The Michigan Works! Association is committed to advocating for a strong, skilled workforce in Michigan. Representing Michigan’s statewide Michigan Works! system, the Association supports collaboration among workforce development agencies, businesses, educators, and policymakers to ensure the state’s workforce remains competitive in a global economy.