DEARBORN–Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has reappointed Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna to the Michigan Workforce Development Board for a second 4-year term.
Calling Michigan the “birthplace of the middle class,” Whitmer created the board in 2020 with a charge to advance “the development and continuous improvement of the workforce development system in Michigan.”
The is comprised of Whitmer and 20 executive leaders from across the state. They represent elected officials, business and industry, and higher education. Kavalhuna is the sole community college president.
The board oversees the Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan, which serves as the state’s strategy in which state departments and external partners work together to increase skills and degree attainment, expand opportunity to grow the middle class, and enable business growth.
Recently, HFC has been an active supporter of statewide workforce development initiatives, including:
- Sixty by 30, a component of MI-LEAP that focuses on increasing the number of working-age adults in Michigan with an occupational certificate or college degree to 60 percent by 2030.
- Michigan Reconnect, an initiative to provide tuition-free pathway to an in-demand industry certificate or associate degree for Michigan adults over age 25.
- The Michigan Achievement Scholarship and the Michigan Community College Guarantee, which are intended to provide graduating high school students with two years of tuition-free postsecondary education at a community college.
- The regional Detroit Drives Degrees program, a consortium to improve the talent pipeline by improving access, boosting success, and attracting and retaining talent.
- Hawk Pathways, HFC’s debt-forgiveness program that is part of a statewide effort to encourage former students to return to college to complete their certificates or degrees.
Henry Ford College is also an active partner with business and industry to build workforce development. The College has many longstanding partnerships that prepare graduates for immediate employment and leadership in high-demand fields. Included are partnerships with Ford Motor Co., Stellantis, US Steel, AK Streel, DTE Energy, Secure 24/NTT Data, Corewell Health, the Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health System, Trinity Health, and others.
“Workforce development is a driving force at Henry Ford College,” said Kavalhuna. “We have been out in front for decades, preparing graduates to become teammates and innovators in many high-demand fields. We are a leader in providing a path to a successful middle-class life for the citizens of Michigan, including underserved populations. I am proud to be part of a consortium that cultivates new partnerships and creative ways to help Michigan lead the way nationally in workforce development.”
Henry Ford College was established in 1938 and currently serves 12,000 students, offering more than 150 associate degree, career, certificate, and university transfer programs, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Studies. More at www.hfcc.edu.