Adults in Michigan can improve their employability status and increase their wages by receiving industry certifications or completing their associate degree. For those 25 and older who want a tuition-free way to achieve that, The Michigan Reconnect program launched by the state last week offers a tuition-free pathway to an associate degree or skills certificate.
Tamara Kenny, Chief Academic Officer of Occupational Studies & Health Sciences at St. Clair County Community College (SC4) , said SC4 is a great place for adult learners to begin growing their resume to excel at their current job or to begin or finish the credentials for a new one.
Kenny said, “Students that receive industry certifications are so much more employable, employers are scooping them up right away. Not only can you achieve your associate degree, which increases your earning potential, but you can receive industry certifications too [in many SC4 programs].”
SC4 offers a broad range of Career and Technical Education programs including Health Sciences, Computer Information Systems, Engineering, and Criminal Justice. They work with organizations like the St. Clair County EDA to assist employers with advancing the skill level of the county’s workforce and helping new employers in the area recruit SC4 graduates.
The college is also helping adult learners take advantage of programs like Futures for Frontliners, which helped frontline workers in 2020 go back to school, and the new Michigan Reconnect program which require participants to seek a degree or certificate from their in-district community college.
More information about Michigan Reconnect and other programs for helping adults with tuition-free options for higher education can be found on the State of Michigan’s, Sixty-by-30 website <HERE>
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
