Oakland80 Report Shines Light on Effort Between County, OU, OCC and Oakland Schools
(Elizabeth Schanz, May 15, 2023)
Pontiac, MI – Oakland80, an initiative originally announced in 2021, set the goal to have at least 80 percent of Oakland County residents obtain a higher education degree or professional certification by 2030. Oakland80 aims to create more economic stability and career opportunities for Oakland County Residents through networks of connections and resources.
In the inaugural Oakland80 report, the Oakland80 team and the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce (CSW) outlined five ways for the initiative to reach more residents and promote further tangible progress. The goals include emphasizing career exposure, supporting transitions between high school and post-secondary education, using financial aid resources, attracting and retaining students and promoting equity. The team hopes to create resources and pathways to persuade potentially uncertain residents that a path to higher education is possible and valuable even with many economic changes.
Alongside the Oakand80 report, University of Michigan economist Dr. Gabriel Ehrlich highlighted the key takeaways from the annual economist forecast for Oakland County. Ehrlich said the forecast predicts solid growth from 2023 to 2025 at about 1.4 percent per year. Additionally, employment in Oakland County is predicted to return to the pre-pandemic level in the second half of 2025.
Ehrlich emphasized a “tight labor market is an ongoing fact of life for the foreseeable future in the southeast and especially Oakland County. ” In conjunction with this economic prediction, Ehrlich and many officials see education as an opportunity to pave job security and promote the economy.
Oakland80 builds upon the wider goals economic and educational goals promoted by the state of Michigan. In 2019, Governor Gretchen Whitmer outlined the “Sixty by 30” plan which seeks to have 60 percent of Michigan residents with a skill certification or college degree by 2030. The plan outlines similar ways to help Michigan residents to achieve this goal such as closing gaps in skillsets, increasing opportunities through further education and promoting inclusive economic growth.
Director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Susan Corbin said although Michigan’s overall efforts are important, the work individual counties do to promote economic and educational progress can further shape positive change.
“What Oakland County has done with their Oakland80 program is exactly what needs to happen This is something that will be absolutely transformational to the people here in Oakland County,” Corbin said. “We need more parts of the state to follow the lead in Oakland County and set their own county goals and bring together all of the people who are working to support their citizens in reaching this goal.”
By having local and state efforts that promote economic and educational advancements, the Oakland80 teams feel there will be more opportunities to reach specific communities in need and meet educational markers.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said Oakland80 puts resources into helping residents “find their true passions” and obtained necessary skills, education and training.
Oakland80 aims to bridging the gap between high school education, community college, trade programs and higher education. Oakland80 creates an “unique” partnership between the three institutions of Oakland County Schools, Oakland Community College (OCC) and Oakland University (OU). The connective relationship between these institutions works to create a “seamless transition” for students from one educational program to the next through partnerships and promoting opportunities early on in the K-12 education.
Additionally, Coulter said Oakland80 makes pursuing further education possible by connecting residents to resources such as scholarships and “wrap-around services” like childcare and transportation.
“We don’t want anything to become a barrier to their progress,” Coulter said. “It’s a win-win situation. Our residents get the tools that they need to find good-paying jobs that they can support their families and our businesses, who have been telling me for years that they can’t find enough workers, can fill those jobs with our residents.”
However, with national student loan forgiveness programs still up in the air, the reality of how to make college and higher education affordable looms large. According to the Education Data Initiative, 43.8 million borrowers have student loan debt which can often leave people uncertain about pursuing higher education.
The Oakland80 initiative works to eliminate some of these concerns by ensuring resources and connections are promoted early on in residents’ education to circumvent financial barriers. For instance, the early connections to OCC through dual enrollment allow students to take college classes at OCC without additional cost during their time in high school.
Additionally, the initiative works to connect learners to scholarship and financial resources at the university, local and state levels. OU President Ora Pescovitz said 52% of 2023 OU graduates had zero debt. Other resources through FAFSA such as the Michigan Achievement Scholarship can help to fund educational pursuits.
The goal of Oakland80 is for 80% of residents to have secondary education. That percentage currently is at 69%. “Higher education and training are the foundations for getting good jobs with higher wages, ensuring that all of our residents succeed and thrive,” Coulter said. “Achieving this goal also helps Oakland County attract employers who see the value in our skilled and talented workforce.”
Learn more about Oakland 80 at https://www.oakgov.com/business/business-development/workforce-development/oakland80.