Michigan Launches Initiative to Award College Credit for Apprenticeships
A new statewide program will allow building trades apprentices to earn college credit for their on-the-job training—linking hands-on experience to academic credentials and career advancement.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Oct 22, 2025
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has launched a statewide initiative that allows residents who complete registered building trades apprenticeships to earn college credit toward a degree or technical certificate.
The College Credit for Apprenticeship program will standardize agreements between the state’s skilled trades unions, the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential (MiLEAP) and the Michigan Community College Association (MCCA) to award academic credit for apprenticeship training.
The effort builds on existing local partnerships between trade unions and community colleges that recognize apprenticeship experience as prior learning. The goal is to create a consistent, statewide framework that gives workers across Michigan access to college credit for their on-the-job training.
“Registered Apprenticeships are a powerful way for Michigan workers to earn while they learn,” said Susan Corbin, director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. “Now, with this initiative, apprentices can also earn college credit for their training, opening doors to degrees and certifications that strengthen careers and support employers.”
Michigan ranks fourth nationally in the number of active apprentices, with more than 24,000 participants enrolled in over 800 programs. Officials say linking apprenticeship programs with community-college credit will help advance Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 goal — increasing the share of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree to 60 percent by 2030.
The American Council on Education will perform third-party evaluations of apprenticeship curricula to determine appropriate credit value. Evaluations will come at no cost to unions or colleges while protecting proprietary training materials.
“This collaboration truly recognizes the quality of Michigan’s building-trades programs and the students who complete them,” said Sean Egan, deputy director of labor for LEO. “It’s about valuing their skills, expanding opportunity and ensuring a pathway through the trades can lead to lifelong learning and a great career.”
For more information on registered apprenticeships in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for OH&S.