The path to good-paying careers without a BA ain’t what you think

In 1999 Michigan Future, Inc. did research to identify the pathway young adults in metro Detroit without a four-year degree took to obtaining good-paying jobs. The research involved both focus groups and phone interviews. The core finding of that research was that the predominate path to good-paying jobs for those without a four-year degree is […]

The problem with 3rd grade reading mandates

Over the past few years, the question of whether 3rd graders can read, and what we should do about it, has dominated education discussions, not just in Detroit and Lansing, but across the country. 3rd grade reading laws have taken the country by storm, with state legislatures passing laws that would hold back any 3rd […]

California more prosperous, Kansas less prosperous

Over the past decade or so we have been writing a lot about California and Kansas. Because California in the 00s was considered in permanent decline and then with the election of Jerry Brown as Governor in 2010 went all in on a big tax increase and expanded public investments. Kansas because it took the […]

Are America’s colleges solidifying economic castes?

In our first-ever policy agenda, Michigan Future Inc. argues that boosting Michigan’s four-year college degree attainment rate holds the most promise as a strategy to increase household income in our state. There is ample evidence of the correlation between a state’s college attainment and per capita income. Of the top 15 American states for per […]

Bridge Magazine on Michigan’s talent gap

If you haven’t seen it, check out Bridge’s Why Michigan needs newcomers. Told in 5 data maps. The maps and accompanying article clearly make the case why retaining and attracting college educated adults––particularly recent college graduates––should be an economic development priority for the state. Why? Because the proportion of adults with a four-year degree or […]

School: A Confidence Booster or a Confidence Killer?

I’ve been looking more deeply into one of the “Cs” of the “6 Cs” that we believe, based on Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek’s book Becoming Brilliant are the skills that kids need to be successful in the 21st century economy (and which, overwhelmingly, our schools are not designed to build). This is the […]

Michigan employment and earnings by education attainment

Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a table showing the national unemployment rate and median earnings from work by education attainment. Every year we write a blog about it. It, of course, is more evidence that those with a four-year degree earn more and work more. We write about it all the time […]