The Michigan House budget released this week deals a devastating blow to our state’s workforce development system, threatening programs that connect individuals to opportunity and employers to talent. As a vital bridge between education and workforce development, Youth Solutions was directly impacted when our $5.7 million in funding was eliminated from the budget.
This funding is essential for programming, staffing, and outreach efforts for youth across Michigan. Each year, our programs and services — including Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates (JMG), Youth Solutions Foundations, and Connecting Careers to the Core — impact more than 14,000 youth in 98 communities statewide.
And these programs work:
99% of JMG participants graduate high school and 94% are engaged in postsecondary education, work, or the military after high school — even while facing the toughest barriers.
For every $1 Michigan invests in JMG, at least $1 more is leveraged from federal, state, private, and local sources — doubling the return on taxpayer dollars.
In our Foundations schools, career awareness and planning has grown by double digits — up to 49% in some areas.
Thousands of young people who once felt disconnected from school are now building personalized plans, exploring real career options, and stepping confidently into adulthood.
By helping today’s youth build purpose, develop essential skills, and connect with meaningful career pathways, we are preparing a pipeline of workers ready to meet Michigan’s future talent needs. These solutions not only support individual success — they strengthen Michigan’s workforce and economy.
Now, we need your voice.
Policymakers are facing difficult funding decisions, but Michigan’s youth must remain a priority. Please take a few minutes today to:
Contact your local legislators — by phone, email, or text — and urge them to restore Youth Solutions funding. Please feel free to use any of the content in this email in your communications.
Find your local representative, along with their contact information by entering your home address here.
Leverage your influence: share our impact and this urgent issue with your networks, employers, and community leaders.
Amplify our story: post on social media tagging your local representative, forward this message, and speak out publicly about what’s at stake.
Stand with us as advocates when we coordinate broader outreach efforts in the coming weeks.
