Northern Michigan University has received an Innovation Investment Award of nearly $906,000 from the Michigan Center for Adult College Success to develop competency-based education options that will help adults–regardless of age or career status–obtain postsecondary credentials to secure jobs or advance professionally in a knowledge-based economy.
The funding will be directed in part of refining Northern’s system of granting credit for prior learning, and to creating additional non-credit micro credentials, or short courses focused on a particular skill!
NMU’s grant was one of nine awarded through the Michigan Center for Adult College Success’ competitive $6.4 million Innovation Investment Awards program, which is funded by the legislature. The grants support advances toward Michigan’s Sixty by 30 goal to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree from 51.1% today to 60% by 2030. An emphasis on students 25 and older necessary due to population trends. The state cannot reach the 60% target without significantly increasing enrollment and college completion by adults.
“It’s an approach that aligns with the changing landscape of higher education and is meant to augment–not replace–the current system,” said Steve VandenAvond, associate provost and dean of College of Technology and Occupational Sciences. “We want to be educational resource throughout each person’s lifetime.”
“Congratulations to Northern Michigan University and all the guarantees for recognizing that knowledge and skills are the currencies of the modern employment market,” said Kevin Stotts, president of TalentFirst, which launched the center in 2023. “Employer demand for well-trained workers is only going to grow. Helping more adults obtain postsecondary credentials is how we open the door of opportunity for Michigan families.”
“It is exciting to see how these grant proposals took systemic approaches to addressing the barriers adult learners face,” added Jeremy Hendges, executive director of the center. “These evidence-based, innovative approaches are what we need in order to provide adults with a college environment that will support them in obtaining the degrees and credentials they need to succeed.”
Learn more about the Innovation Investment Awards and see the full list of guarantees here!
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