This report recommends strategies for TalentFirst and the Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative (MWTEC) to strengthen stackable credential pathways for high-demand, family-sustaining nursing careers in West Michigan.
Through interviews with employers, colleges, and workforce partners, several opportunities emerged that can expand nursing pathways and improve outcomes for learners and employers:
- Build and strengthen partnerships with a range of health care employers: In addition to hospitals, long‐term care, home health, behavioral health, and ambulatory settings offer untapped clinical training capacity and job opportunities.
- Build field capacity to implement higher‐education changes: Colleges need support to redesign programs, expand clinical training, and adopt new models. TalentFirst can help coordinate, resource, and accelerate this work.
- Increase adoption of credit for prior learning (CPL) and transfer supports: Learners with experience—especially incumbent workers—need clearer, faster pathways that recognize what they already know.
- Strengthen student financing support, navigation, and re‐engagement: Many learners stop out due to life barriers, unclear pathways, or lack of proactive support that reflects the lived realities of working adults. Regional coordination can help re‐engage these learners and improve completion.