“If we value the pursuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog, to be tethered on a ten-foot chain” — Adlai E. Stevenson Jr., two-time Democratic presidential nominee and a governor of Illinois. * The invaluable Michigan Campaign Finance Network, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Michigan can't fit college grads into job slots
If Amy Dobson is a rock and Gentex is a hard place, Gov. Rick Snyder is stuck between them. Dobson, an effervescent 23-year-old from Okemos, finished a five-year degree program in education from Michigan State University last spring. Despite holding a bachelor’s degree from a top-ranked education school, Dobson couldn’t find a job in her home […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Other states have tried to buy college results
Tying higher education funding to graduation rates, or even to certain types of degrees, may sound radical to Michigan policy-makers, but it’s been discussed and tried for years in other places. Here are some examples: Indiana: In 2007, our southern neighbor tied a portion of its higher education funding to degree completion, on-time graduation and […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Climbing pole to $100,000 per year
When Michigan legislators seek guidance for the state’s economic woes, they may want to look up … they may just catch a glimpse of the future of workforce development. His name is Dan Kilgore, a 31-year-old from Battle Creek. Working today as an electric line technician, Kilgore got his job by participating in a partnership between […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Certificates can buy middle-class lifestyle
While the path to the Michigan middle class will wind almost exclusively through college campuses, the journey will have some shortcuts, according to an analysis of job projections by Bridge Magazine. Some careers projected to have high demand require only a vocational certification — usually taking less than two years of schooling — and offer salaries comparable […]
Posted inQuality of Life
Guest column: Dunes decision troubling for all
By Alison Swan A quirk in Michigan case law makes it possible for a land speculator with deep pockets to force a change in local zoning rules that forever squelches any meaningful public participation. And it nullifies — again forever — local ordinances. Yes, “forever” is a strong word. Let me explain why it is so […]
Posted inMichigan Government
Legislature, check your residency work
One of the more ill-advised things the Legislature and Gov. John Engler did back in the 1990s was to impose their “wisdom” on Michigan communities that made residency requirements for certain public servants. The Legislature decided that for the city of Detroit to require police officers to live in Detroit was unacceptable, for example. They […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Jobs of the future: Where they'll be in Michigan
Jim Danielski tells horror stories, but not the kind shared with toasted marshmallows around a campfire. Danielski’s horror stories are the kind that should keep Gov. Rick Snyder awake at night. At his career counseling center in Plymouth, Danielski sees a steady stream of people who aren’t ready for Michigan’s new economy. Some have no […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Five fields that will still pay well
Michiganians looking to increase their odds of landing a full-time job with above-average pay should head directly to a hospital. Can’t stand the sight of blood? Maybe you would prefer being a financial analyst. Not good with numbers? Think about oil and gas. The job outlook in Michigan is projected to remain tight through 2018, […]
Posted inBusiness Watch
Job prospects take on oily sheen
The list of the fastest growing jobs in Michigan is dominated by one unlikely industry – petroleum. Five of the six fastest-growing occupations are connected to petroleum and natural resource extraction through 2018, according to Bridge Magazine job projections based on federal data. The projections assume the same kind of explosive growth in hydraulic fracturing […]