Youth Solutions Statement on Michigan House Budget Impact

Date: August 27, 2025

The Michigan House budget released this week deals a devastating blow to our state’s workforce development system, threatening programs that connect individuals to opportunity and employers to talent. As a vital bridge between education and workforce development, we at Youth Solutions were directly impacted when our $5.7 million in funding was eliminated from the budget.

This funding is essential for programming, staffing, and outreach efforts for youth across Michigan. Each year, programs and services by Youth Solutions—including Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates, Foundations, and Connecting Careers to the Core—impact more than 14,000 youth in 98 communities throughout the state.

Our solutions have proven to be effective: currently, 99% of all Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates participants graduate from high school. In addition, 94% continue to stay engaged after graduation through employment, continued education, or other postsecondary action. For students in our Foundations schools, career awareness and planning has grown by double digits—up to 49% in some areas. Students who once felt disconnected from their education are now building personalized plans, exploring real career options, and stepping confidently into adulthood.

By helping today’s youth build purpose, develop essential skills, and connect with meaningful career pathways, we are building a pipeline of future workers that is prepared to meet the demands of the future. These programs not only support individual success—they strengthen Michigan’s workforce and economy.

We know that young people are Michigan’s future workforce. Without continued investment in proven, efficient, and effective solutions like ours, the state risks widening gaps for youth who deserve every chance to succeed.

Policymakers are facing difficult funding decisions, but Michigan’s youth must remain a priority. We urge leaders to safeguard the programs that prepare young people to thrive in both education and employment. Without these solutions, our state risks widening opportunity gaps for youth who deserve every chance to succeed.

How you can help:

1. Contact your local legislators — by phone, email, or text — and urge them to restore funding for Youth Solutions. You’ll find sample emails, talking points, call scripts, text messages, and social media templates available here to help guide your outreach.

   1. Find your local representative, along with their contact information by entering your home address here.

2. Leverage your influence: share our impact and this urgent issue with your networks, employers, and community leaders.

3. Amplify our story: post on social media and speak out publicly about what’s at stake.

4. Stand with us as advocates when we coordinate broader outreach efforts in the coming weeks.

   
   

Now is the time for us to come together— as educators, employers, policymakers, and community leaders— in support of Michigan’s youth. We must protect the programs that prepare them for success and ensure they have access to the opportunities they deserve.

Roger Curtis,

Executive Director

Youth Solutions