Delivering the "Golden Age" Workforce Vision in Michigan


  • The WIN collaborative is the regional embodiment of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Golden Age strategy, delivering results across all five strategic pillars.

Impactful 2024 accomplishments illustrate real-world results in registered apprenticeships programs, short-term training, lifelong career pathways, stackable credentials, and more. 

Together, with the partners, WIN is turning action into measurable impact and being recognized for leading the way.

How Southeast Michigan Is Bringing "America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age" To Life

America stands on the brink of a workforce transformation. With the release of America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education have laid out a bold blueprint for revitalizing the American economy through a robust, flexible, and industry-driven workforce system.

The Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN), made up of nine community colleges and seven Michigan Works! American Job Centers in Southeast Michigan work collaboratively to support career pathways and talent pipelines for career seekers and employers. Through data-driven solutions, deep employer engagement, and an unwavering commitment to worker mobility and innovation, the WIN Board of Directors has been translating this federal vision into tangible progress for Michigan workers and industries since 2011.

WIN Board MWSE - Copy

A Vision Aligned with Action

The Golden Age Talent Strategy rests on five strategic pillars:

  1. Industry-Driven Strategies
  2. Worker Mobility
  3. Integrated Systems
  4. Accountability
  5. Flexibility & Innovation

These pillars directly reflect the work the WIN Board of Directors is doing across its 19-county Southeast Michigan region. From Registered Apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing and healthcare to large-scale research and regional partnerships, the WIN efforts directly reflect the federal call to create workforce systems that are fast, flexible, and focused on outcomes.

WIN 2024 Achievements: Golden Age in Action

1. Industry-Driven Strategies
The WIN Board of Directors collaborated with over 1,410 employers and stakeholders in 2024 to develop employer-driven workforce solutions. Through its convening of the Michigan Alliance for Greater Advancement (MAGMA) and the Health Career Alliance employer-led collaboratives, the WIN collaborative has created direct talent pipelines between industry needs and workforce training. Examples include:

  • Launch of Michigan’s first Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) advanced manufacturing chapter with employers at the table, including small to mid-sized businesses as well as Toyota North America, Ann Arbor Spark, and Washtenaw Community College.
  • New U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) approved Surgical Technologist and Licensed Nurse Practitioner (LPN) apprenticeship programs to fill healthcare gaps with Henry Ford Health, EHM Senior Solutions, Michigan Works! Southeast, Henry Ford College, and SEMCA Michigan Works!

These align with the Golden Age Talent Strategy’s priority to scale Registered Apprenticeships and co-design programs with employers to fill in-demand jobs.

A group of graduates standing outside with staff

2. Worker Mobility

The WIN Board and stakeholder partners served nearly 12,000 individuals in 2024, connecting them to upskilling, certifications, no-cost tools and resources, and career pathways. Notable highlights include:

  • 1,324 individuals trained in high-demand fields such as cybersecurity, transportation, and logistics, resulting in an impressive 97% employment rate through the USDOL H-1B Industry Infinity program, with support from Capital Area Michigan Works!, DESC/Detroit at Work, GST Michigan Works!, Henry Ford College, Lansing Community College, Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works!, Macomb Community College, Monroe County Community College, Michigan Works! Southeast, Mott Community College, Oakland Community College, Oakland Michigan Works!, Washtenaw Community College, Wayne County Community College District, Schoolcraft College, and SEMCA Michigan Works!
  • 1,442 apprentices enrolled in training, surpassing the target goal by 200%, through the USDOL Closing the Skills Gap initiative. 
  • 599 individuals trained through the Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) initiative, with GST Michigan Works and Mott Community College leading the way in the Energy and Healthcare sectors.
  • 281 rural residents prepared for healthcare careers via the Michigan Rural Enhanced Access to Careers in Healthcare (MiREACH), with GST Michigan Works! surpassing all outcomes.

The WIN efforts uplift all individuals, including underrepresented communities, veterans returning citizens, women, and youth, putting worker mobility at the forefront of talent development.

Zamen Women Apprentices - Copy


3. Integrated Regional Systems

Just as the federal strategy calls for unified, streamlined systems, WIN operates as a coordinating backbone across 16 board partners, including nine community colleges and seven Michigan Works! agencies. Together, WIN serves approximately 63% of Michigan’s total labor force. On behalf of the Board partners, WIN has:

  • Published 43 labor market and workforce research reports to help employers and career seekers make critical decisions in 2024.
  • Assisted 5,791 individuals in accessing apprenticeship and/or industry-recognized credentialing since 2020.  

This cross-sector integration is exactly the kind of system modernization envisioned by the USDOL’s plan.

White male talking into microphone

4. Measurable Outcomes and Accountability

By leveraging the expertise and resources of the WIN Board member organizations, the performance is not theoretical, it’s proven:

  • Over $294 million in direct or indirect funding has been brought to the region through WIN initiatives since 2011.
  • The USDOL H-1B One Workforce Industry Infinity program has exceeded enrollment goals by 143%.
  • Working directly with over 250 employers to launch Registered Apprenticeship Programs through the WIN Sponsor Intermediary since 2018. 
  • Engaged over 600 employers with registered apprenticeship resources, since 2022 through the USDOL Apprenticeship Building America program.
  • Received the Sustainability and Expansion Award from the USDOL Closing the Skills Gap, reflecting the visionary leadership and efforts to ensure the long-term impact of this program for the communities being served.
  • Recognition as a USDOL Apprenticeship Ambassador supporting the modernization, diversification, and expansion of the registered apprenticeship program. Ambassadors Recognition Coin

The focus on data, impact, and transparency embodies the accountability pillar of the Golden Age Talent Strategy.

5. Flexibility and Innovation

WIN has leaned into emerging technologies and new economic frontiers:

  • Developed over 50 new or updated curricula in automation, IT, cybersecurity, and manufacturing.
  • Led hydrogen workforce development in collaboration with the University of Toledo.
  • Partnered with PBS Detroit’s “AI & Work & You” series to explore the future of jobs and AI.

The adaptability of the WIN Board directly addresses the federal call to create a workforce agile enough to match the speed and scale of AI-driven economic transformation.

Michigan as a National Model

The Golden Age Talent Strategy presents a bold future, but in Southeast Michigan, the future is already unfolding. The WIN collaborative proves that with the right partners, data, and vision, workforce systems can meet industry needs, empower workers, and spark economic prosperity.

Want to learn more?

Visit winintelligence.org or follow WIN on social media to stay up to date on programs, impact stories, and partnerships shaping the workforce of tomorrow.

Together, we’re not just imagining the Golden Age, we’re building it in Michigan!

Alysha Albrecht Headshot 2024 - CopyBy Alysha Albrecht, WIN Communications Manager

About WIN

The Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN), a division of SEMCA Michigan Works!, has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor as one of the top workforce collaboratives in the nation. WIN is a partnership of nine community colleges and seven Michigan Works! agencies, working together to build a comprehensive and cohesive workforce development system across the state. In collaboration with numerous other organizations, WIN helps connect employers with the talent they need to thrive. 

Serving a 19-county region, the WIN Board of Directors includes: Capital Area Michigan Works!, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (Detroit at Work), GST Michigan Works!, Henry Ford College, Jackson College, Macomb Community College, Macomb-St. Clair Michigan Works!, Michigan Works! Southeast, Monroe County Community College, Mott Community College, Oakland Community College, Oakland County Michigan Works!, Schoolcraft College, Washtenaw Community College, and Wayne County Community College District. 

WIN celebrated 10 years of research, engagement, and solutions in 2021. Learn more at winintelligence.org/about-us.