Employer validation
Multiple employers recognize the occupation, skills and hiring requirements rather than one sponsor carrying the entire demand claim.
Community Equity LabBuildReady
Workforce transition & skilled pathwaysTurn exposure into a verified transition—connecting people to training, credentials, employers and the next step with measures that show whether the pathway actually works.
Four pathway tests
Do not scale a pathway until the basics are verifiable.
Stackable credentials
Training should connect to recognizable credentials and further education instead of ending in a dead end.
Program readiness
Training length, delivery model, eligibility and financial-aid assumptions are checked against the actual rules that apply.
Placement & value
Completion, placement, earnings, persistence and cost are measured so the pathway can be improved or stopped.
Handoff architecture
Referral is not the outcome.
BuildReady follows the transition far enough to know whether a person actually reached the next institution and remained connected.
Validate demand
Confirm the occupation, employer demand, entry requirements and realistic local opportunity.
Map the route
Identify training, credentials, aid, transportation, support and institutional responsibilities.
Verify the handoff
Track intake, enrollment, placement or another concrete transition instead of counting a referral alone.
Measure persistence
Follow early retention, barriers, completion and employer feedback before deciding to expand.
Current Michigan Workforce Pell context
Verified September 28, 2026
Michigan currently identifies basic Workforce Pell program tests that include 150–599 hours and 8–14 weeks of instruction, alignment with high-skill/high-wage/in-demand occupations and multiple employers, stackability into further education, at least one year of operation at the required length and format, and federal performance standards including 70% completion and 70% job placement. The next state application window is January 15–February 12, 2027. Approval is provider- and program-specific; BuildReady itself is not a Workforce Pell-approved program.
Michigan youth-employment handoff
Effective October 2, 2026
Michigan's Youth Employment Permit Portal (YEPP) becomes the required statewide process for youth work permits. Schools will no longer issue new permits after the transition. A previously issued permit remains valid for the current job, but a minor who changes employer or worksite needs a new permit through YEPP; employers hiring minors should register and use the state portal. For BuildReady partnerships involving participants under 18, the permit process belongs in the pathway map rather than being treated as a last-minute administrative step.
BuildReady is a Community Equity Lab program. Partnership or participation does not imply approval by Michigan LEO, the U.S. Department of Education or any employer unless separately documented.
Partnership fit
Best with partners who control a real piece of the pathway.
- Employers and industry associations
- CTE, community colleges and training providers
- Workforce agencies and community organizations
- Districts and ISDs preparing students for transitions
- Funders or evaluators supporting bounded pilots