News file photo Students in a utility technology class at the Electrical Power Technology Center at Alpena Community College participate in a hands-on learning scenario.

LANSING – Community colleges around the state have expanded their workforce development training programs in recent years.

That supports employer-driven training by reimbursing businesses for training workers for high-demand positions, said Katie Witkowski, the director of government and external affairs at the Michigan Community College Association.

Training programs vary at community colleges because the institutions are intended to be hyperlocal, Witkowski said.

Thus they design programs based on local employers’ needs that fluctuate with Michigan’s economy.

Students can train at their local schools instead of traveling elsewhere to get the required training and education, and that helps grow the health care workforce in their communities, Witkowski said.

For example, Witkowski said that North Central Michigan College in Petoskey is set to become northern Michigan’s first college to have a dental hygiene program that addresses workforce shortages in the area.

Meanwhile, Kirtland Community College in Grayling is using a timber harvesting simulator to train workers in more rural northern areas.

The association has also implemented programs such as Michigan Reconnect and Going Pro Talent Fund to draw career-focused students.

Michigan Reconnect allows adults 25 years and older to attend their in-district community college tuition-free. The Go Pro Talent Fund assists employers in training and developing current or newly hired employees.

The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity says those programs remove financial barriers, boost workforce skills and expand economic opportunity while supporting students who wish to attend college while working full time.

Health care is a huge component in workforce training provided through community colleges, according to the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

Michigan colleges are now linking their associate’s degree in nursing with a bachelor’s of science in nursing through allied health programs at four-year public universities.

For example, participating nursing students can take classes at Grand Rapids Community College and transfer credits to the University of Michigan Flint.

One program that the association is introducing will award academic credit for industry-recognized credentials like a medical assistant certificate and CompTIA security (Computing Technology Industry Association), which is an entry-level cybersecurity skills certificate.

The community college association website highlights how that strategy enables students to get college credit for job-related certifications they already have.

The association created a database to detail transfer credit pathways on the Michigan Transfer Network. It enables colleges to explain the process clearly to students and employers.

The president of the association, Brandy Johnson, said the state launched the Community College Guarantee in response to Michigan’s growing student loan crisis. The program covers 100% of in-district tuition and fees for high school graduates from the class of 2023 and beyond who are pursuing an associate degree.

Johnson says the direct impact of the program is that it reduces the need for students to take out loans.

In Michigan, about 1.4 million borrowers hold roughly $51 billion in student loan debt, with the average student owing more than $37,000, according to Bridge Michigan.

That level of debt discourages many people from attending college altogether out of fear of how much money they might owe, according to experts.