To advance a vision for Michigan’s economic renewal. Provide the policy ideas and solutions that realize the vision. Build and support networks of citizens, leaders, and organizations to make it happen.
In 2005, the Cherry Commission report set an agenda for Michigan higher education attainment. In 2014, after a 10-year hiatus, stakeholders in Michigan’s decentralized higher education policy community voluntarily rejoined with the Governor, Key Cabinet Agencies, and the Michigan Department of Education to form the Michigan Higher Education Roundtable (MIHEART), to take stock of progress and lay out a blueprint for continued action.
As Michigan once gave birth to whole new industries—Michigan can lead the way in emerging sectors—solving the world’s problems around living sustainably— and pioneering innovations that positively impact society.
Throughout our history, the story of Michigan is very much a story of migrants. Newcomers from other parts of this country, and immigrants from around the world, all came seeking the same things: to find a job and do meaningful work, to make a better life their families and their children, to build communities.
To realize the benefits of education, Michigan must continue to advance policies and practices that increase the successful attainment of needed skills, earned through a wide range of postsecondary credentials, from occupational certificates and apprenticeships to associates, bachelors, graduate and professional degrees.
We are living at a time that punctures the equilibrium, that shakes a dominant mobility paradigm –in this case the personal vehicle mono-culture dominant– and morphs it into a whole system, distributed ‘New Mobility’ landscape defined by multi-modal, multi-service networks, and made possible by game-changing information technology, social networks, and business models.
Before turning to ideas of how to build out this Blue Economy for the future, we wanted to better understand the Michigan Blue Economy of today. To see how communities, educators, researchers and business leaders are already organizing around water as an economic opportunity – and what we can learn from their efforts.
This is the story citizens are beginning to tell about Michigan. What they value. What makes Michigan unique and special. What is most important to do to help this state live up to its historic promise of provid- ing good jobs and opportunity for those willing to work hard.
The Michigan Economic Center (MEC) is a place for ideas and a network of state and local leaders and citizens working to:
Learn more at mieconomiccenter.org »
