Economic Impact

Education is the key to the prosperity of our state and region.  Michigan had 80,000 unfilled jobs due to lack of qualified workers at the start of 2015.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, “there is a clear and strong correlation between the educational attainment of a state’s workforce and median wages in the state.”

As a state, Michigan ranks 28th in terms of college attainment, and 37th in terms of per capita income.

Michiganders with the least education earn less and cannot afford housing, food and other basic needs. Nearly one in four Michigan households struggle to support their household necessities according to a study by the United Way.

The economic drain affects everyone; median wages in Michigan fell for workers of all education levels from 2007 to 2012 by 1 percent.

Typically, large metropolitan areas, or central cities, have concentrations of well educated workers with higher per capita income than the rest of the region. However, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn ranks 40th in college attainment and below other metropolitan areas in terms of per capita income.

Michigan must invest in education and substantially increase the proportion of citizens that complete post-secondary education, or it will continue to be a low-prosperity state.

For these reasons, the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation seeks to invest in education initiatives that prepare and support citizens in Michigan and Detroit to complete their post-secondary education.

By supporting efforts to increase the number of Michigan students that are prepared to work and succeed in the 21^st century, the Foundation will build an attractive workforce, foster entrepreneurship, and nurture economic growth in Detroit and the state of Michigan.

Learn About Education Reform