Collaboration highlighted opportunities for students to earn a postsecondary degree or credential while pursuing a path to advanced career mobility with Delta

DETROIT —The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) joined Delta Air Lines at the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport recently to host a Michigan Reconnect Enrollment Day for employees. The event was designed to encourage Delta and partner employees to apply for Michigan Reconnect, a scholarship program that provides students the opportunity to earn a skills certificate or degree tuition-free at their local community college.

“Earning a postsecondary degree or skill certificate gives Michiganders a better chance at career advancement, security and a true path to prosperity,” said Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, director of MiLEAP. “By opening the door to Michigan Reconnect and encouraging opportunities to pursue higher education, Delta Air Lines is investing in its employees’ futures – ensuring they have the skills needed to fuel long-lasting careers in the airline industry and beyond.”

Delta has more than 100,000 employees, with approximately 4,700 working in Michigan. The company was recently ranked fifth in the nation as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” by Forbes, based on a survey of current and recent company employees.

During the event, representatives from Delta highlighted the importance of eliminating barriers for employees to access high-earning opportunities and fostering a diverse pipeline of talent within the company.

“Introducing our employees to Michigan Reconnect is yet another way Delta Air Lines is working to remove obstacles for advancement and strengthen the workforce pipeline of aviation professionals,” said Hussein Berry, Delta’s vice president of airport operations at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. “Delta Air Lines prides itself on its ‘skills-first talent strategy’, which aims to enrich the careers of all Delta employees and accelerate career mobility by prioritizing a candidate’s skills and experience in internal and external hiring. Our skills-first hiring approach increases access to higher-earning positions while promoting equitable access to long-term career trajectories. Much like MiLEAP is removing barriers to education, Delta is removing obstacles to entry for talent.”

The enrollment day gave employees a chance to connect with Reconnect Navigators who offered insight on how to apply for the scholarship, which traditionally provides in-district community college tuition-free to Michiganders 25 and older. MiLEAP recently announced that adults ages 21 to 24 who have not yet earned a college degree now have until Dec. 31, 2024, to apply for Reconnect.

In addition to scholarship support, local community colleges were on-site to help students identify available programs that offer a path to growth in the airline industry and beyond, including areas such as business, aviation management, emergency services, skilled trades and more. Colleges and other partners also offered information on how Reconnect can help provide wraparound supports for issues like childcare, transportation and financial aid.

Partnerships like these are helping the state make progress toward its Sixty by 30 goal to increase the number of Michiganders with a postsecondary credential to 60% by 2030. Currently, 51.1% of adults in Michigan have a skill certificate or college degree.

For more information on Michigan Reconnect and eligibility, visit Michigan.gov/Reconnect.

About MiLEAP:Established by Gov. Whitmer in 2023, MiLEAP’s mission is to improve outcomes from preschool to postsecondary so anyone can “make it in Michigan” with a solid education and a path to a good-paying job. To learn more about MiLEAP, go to Michigan.gov/MiLEAP.