October 7, 2016

SVSU to host presentation of “Reaching for Opportunity” report

SVSU to host presentation of “Reaching for Opportunity” report
Monday, Oct. 10
Curtiss Hall, Saginaw Valley State University

Saginaw Valley State University will host presentations by John Austin, president of the Michigan State Board of Education, and Brandy Johnson, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network, Monday, Oct. 10.

Austin will share key findings of the Reaching for Opportunity report, which details that Michigan will need 779,000 more citizens with education beyond high school by 2025 to meet the needs of state employers. This will require increasing the proportion of the population with degrees and credentials from its current 46 percent to 60 percent. Current projections call for an additional 232,000 individuals with bachelor’s degrees and an additional 45,000 with graduate degrees over the next decade.

Johnson will share data specific to the Michigan’s Prosperity Region Five, which includes Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw counties.  The full report can be found at http://mitalentgoal2025.org/.

Following Austin and Johnson, several individuals will also share information on what initiatives are in place in the region to meet the region’s education and workforce needs.

The event is by invitation only; some 70 school leaders, business leaders and others have registered to attend. The presentations are open to news media.