Why Workforce Development May Be the Most Important Investment We Make in Northeast Michigan
At Target Huron, we spend a lot of time talking about economic development.
Those conversations often focus on housing. Sometimes they center around infrastructure, entrepreneurship, business expansion, or attracting new investment into our communities. But beneath nearly every economic development conversation happening across Northeast Michigan sits one challenge that continues to surface again and again. Workforce. Simply put, communities cannot grow if businesses cannot find people. It is one of the most common concerns we hear from employers throughout our region. Small businesses are working hard to expand. Manufacturers continue looking for skilled workers. Entrepreneurs are launching new ventures. Existing employers are trying to retain talent while remaining competitive in an increasingly difficult labor market. And across nearly every sector, the same question continues to emerge.
Where will our future workforce come from? More importantly, how do we prepare the next generation to succeed right here at home?
That question is exactly why Target Huron has launched the RISE Initiative, a $100,000 regional workforce investment designed to prepare more than 2,400 students across nine school districts throughout Northeast Michigan over the next two years.
RISE stands for Readiness, Integration, Skill Development, and Employment, and while the program is centered around workforce development, its long-term impact reaches far beyond simply preparing students for jobs. The initiative directly supports one of Target Huron’s core economic development priorities: Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development.
Sometimes workforce development and small business development are treated as separate conversations. In reality, they are deeply connected. The reality facing many businesses today is straightforward. A business can have customers, strong products, financing opportunities, and a desire to grow, but without access to a skilled workforce, growth becomes increasingly difficult. Small businesses throughout Northeast Michigan continue to tell us the same story. Finding employees with strong communication skills, professionalism, problem-solving ability, and the adaptability needed in today’s workforce has become one of the greatest barriers to long-term growth. At the same time, many students graduate without fully understanding the opportunities available to them within their own communities. The RISE Initiative is designed to help solve both sides of that challenge. The goal is simple. We want students to graduate with more than a diploma.
We want them to leave high school with skills, credentials, confidence, and a clear understanding of the opportunities available to them right here in Northeast Michigan.
Students participating in the RISE Initiative will move through a structured learning pathway focused on career readiness, entrepreneurship, communication, business fundamentals, and professional development. Many students will earn nationally recognized certifications in Entrepreneurship & Small Business (ESB) and Critical Career Skills (CCS) — credentials that validate real-world competencies employers increasingly seek in today’s economy.
One of the exciting parts of this initiative is that our region is not starting from scratch.
Northeast Michigan has already seen tremendous success through Career and Technical Education programs, particularly programs like those offered at Alpena High School. Those programs have demonstrated something important: students perform exceptionally well when classroom learning is connected directly to real-world application and career opportunities. The RISE Initiative builds upon that success by expanding workforce and entrepreneurial training opportunities beyond individual school districts and bringing those opportunities to nine schools throughout Northeast Michigan. Over the next two years, more than 2,400 students will have access to training designed specifically around workforce readiness and economic opportunity.
But preparing students is only one side of the equation. We also need businesses prepared to engage with this emerging workforce. That is where regional partnerships become critically important. This creates something unique for Northeast Michigan. A system where education, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and small business growth all begin working together instead of operating independently. Businesses participating in this effort will have early access to highly skilled young talent entering the workforce with nationally recognized certifications and workplace-ready skills.
For students, the opportunity is obvious.
For employers, the value is immediate.
For the region, the long-term impact could be transformational.
What excites me most about this initiative is not simply the number of students we hope to reach. It is what those numbers represent. More young people prepared for meaningful careers. More businesses gaining access to a stronger workforce pipeline. More entrepreneurs equipped with the skills necessary to start businesses of their own. More opportunity staying right here in Northeast Michigan. We often talk about wanting young people to remain in our communities after graduation. But perhaps that conversation misses the bigger question. The question is not whether our young people want to stay. The question is whether we are creating enough opportunity to give them a reason to.
Economic development has never simply been about buildings, infrastructure, or individual projects. It has always been about people. The future of Northeast Michigan will ultimately be determined by the investments we choose to make in the next generation. The RISE Initiative represents one of those investments. Because vibrant communities need strong businesses. Strong businesses require skilled workers. And the future of Northeast Michigan depends on our ability to build both.
At Target Huron, we believe the strongest communities are built when workforce development, entrepreneurship, and opportunity all move forward together.
The future we want begins by investing in people. And that future begins now.
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