Talent and Education
Creating the workforce of the future
As the economic turmoil of recent years has proven, the world is an extremely dynamic place — and the skills needed for success are equally dynamic. LEAP’s ongoing workforce training can help your business create the workforce of the future.
Deep Talent Pool. Growing Pipeline.
Michigan is a talent leader by any measure:
#1 in the nation for concentration of engineers
#2 nationally for engineering talent and automotive assembly and manufacturing talent
#4 in Site Selection's 2026 Workforce Development Rankings
In the Lansing Region, that foundation meets a local ecosystem built around higher education, career-focused K-12 programming, and sustained investment in early childhood, meaning the region is growing its workforce from the ground up.
With more than 255,000 workers in the regional labor force and 17,000+ graduates entering the market each year, businesses locating here have consistent access to technical, professional, and leadership talent across a range of industries.
Workforce Development for Businesses
Relocating or expanding doesn't stop at signing a lease. Michigan has strong employer-facing resources to help you build and train your workforce from day one.
Capital Area Michigan Works! (CAMW!) is recognized as one of the most progressive workforce development organizations in the country. Their Business Services Team operates as an extension of your HR and recruiting function, at no cost, offering tailored recruitment support, customized hiring strategies, and training solutions built around your specific workforce needs. For businesses scaling up, CAMW! is the practical starting point.
Going PRO Talent Fund provides competitive employer grants for workforce training, helping businesses address skill gaps and improve retention. Administered through Michigan Works!, the fund is available to Michigan-based employers looking to upskill existing staff and remains one of the state's most in-demand employer-facing programs.
Capital Area Manufacturing Council (CAMC) is both a peer network and a policy advocate for regional manufacturers. Members collaborate on workforce development, share operational best practices, and engage collectively on state and local issues. For an incoming manufacturer, CAMC is one of the fastest ways to integrate into the regional business community.
Higher Education
A Big Ten research institution with more than 52,000 students, MSU produces graduates in engineering, computer science, supply chain management, business, life sciences, food science, and public policy. Beyond pipeline, the partnership potential is real: businesses in the region can engage MSU's research capacity, technology transfer ecosystem, and industry-facing programs across mobility, agriculture, life sciences, and materials science. The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management offers both open-enrollment and customized executive programming through MSU Executive Development Programs.
LCC provides the technical workforce backbone of the regional economy. Programs in advanced manufacturing, health sciences, information technology, and skilled trades produce workforce-ready graduates equipped for production, technical, and mid-skill roles. LCC also serves as the Related Technical Instruction provider for registered apprenticeship programs across advanced manufacturing, construction, healthcare, HVAC, information technology, and emergency medical services, making it the practical hub for employers building earn-while-you-learn workforce pipelines. LCC's Business and Community Institute designs and delivers customized training programs for employers, available on-campus, on-site, or online.
Located in downtown Lansing, Davenport is a career-focused private university serving working adults and recent graduates with degrees in business, technology, and health professions from associate through MBA. For relocating businesses, Davenport offers a direct employer partnership model including co-developed programming and scholarship pathways for employees pursuing degrees.
Located in Eaton County, Olivet is a private liberal arts university whose MBA program includes concentrations in insurance and enterprise risk management, a direct fit for businesses in the region's insurance cluster.
K-12
The Lansing Region offers relocating employees a strong and varied K-12 landscape, with public school districts, public school academies, private, and parochial options across all three counties. Families moving to the region have choices.
That same educational foundation extends into workforce preparation. Each county's regional education service agency operates structured career and technical education programs that move students from exploration to credential before they graduate high school.
Wilson Talent Center (Ingham ISD) delivers hands-on CTE to high school students across Ingham County in fields including health sciences, engineering, and information technology.
Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center has partnered with Lansing Community College for more than 40 years to offer 14 technical programs on LCC campuses, covering manufacturing technology, robotics and automation, automotive technology, welding, computer security, health technology, and more. Students earn industry-recognized credentials, dual enrollment college credit, and can accelerate into apprenticeships or direct employment through the Capital Region Technical Early College program.
Clinton County RESA is among the top-performing career education planning districts in Michigan, with students earning 999 credentials and more than $217,000 in college credits through dual enrollment partnerships with Lansing Community College and Mid-Michigan College in 2024-25.
Across all three counties, CTE students leave with credentials, credits, and in many cases a direct pathway into a registered apprenticeship or full-time employment before they finish high school. CAMW!'s Apprenticeship/Business Services Officer is the regional entry point for employers looking to establish or expand a registered apprenticeship program.
Early Childhood Education
A strong workforce starts earlier than most talent pages acknowledge. Independent research on Michigan's state-funded preschool program confirms measurable positive developmental outcomes for enrolled children, outcomes that compound over time in academic performance, credential attainment, and workforce readiness. The Lansing Region takes that seriously.
Michigan's Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) provides free, state-funded preschool for eligible four-year-olds across Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties, administered locally through each county's intermediate school district.
LEAP co-leads the Capital Area Child Care Coalition (CACCC) alongside Capital Area Michigan Works! and United Way of South Central Michigan to expand access to high-quality early learning across the region. For businesses, that means the region is actively working to remove child care as a barrier to workforce participation.
Learn more about CACCC and regional early learning resources.
How LEAP Fits In
Workforce planning is often where location decisions get complicated. Our team works with businesses navigating their hiring strategy before, during, and after a move or expansion. We can help you understand the labor shed, structure a training incentive package, or connect you directly with the right education and workforce partners.
