The U.S. labor market is grappling with a persistent mismatch: there are too many open jobs and not enough qualified workers to fill them. Here in Michigan, for instance, there are now just 85 job seekers for every 100 job openings. Compounding this challenge, local employers are also reporting a growing number of skills gaps among existing workers. About one-third of Michigan workers reportedly lack the digital skills to be successful in the job market. And yet, at a time when the U.S. labor market is saturated with unfilled job openings, employers continue to overlook a significant pool of untapped talent: English-language learners.
The Potential of English Learners
Michigan is now home to more than 140,000 adult English learners. This story isn’t just about numbers, however. It’s about untapped potential. Thousands of these workers—including the growing numbers that have a college degree—remain unemployed or underemployed due, in large part, to language barriers. There is an urgent need to adopt more effective workforce training opportunities that connect these workers to high-demand career skills, including language skills.
Nationally, the U.S. workforce system currently serves the needs of just 4 percent of adult English learners. The instruction that is available tends to reflect an outdated, one-size-fits-all understanding of language training. Too often, English instruction is siloed from other kinds of workforce and career development. This approach is holding these workers and our economy back.
But Michigan is charting a new path. Local employers are stepping up to connect local workers with career-aligned English upskilling. The approach seamlessly combines English skills and career skills, equipping workers with the competencies they need to fill open jobs in high-demand industries. Rather than relying on basic memorization methods that have proven so ineffective in the past, English upskilling uses contextualized, career-aligned language learning models tailored to the realities of today’s workforce.
Backed by state funding, the Michigan Global Talent Initiative is accelerating this shift. Through this program, licenses to the English upskilling solution EnGen are now available at no cost to Michigan-based employers, adult educators, and workforce partners. More than 400 workers across 16 Michigan employers, workforce agencies, and adult education providers are now participating in the program, which is driving success in sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and business services.
Upskilling in Action
Take La Colombe Coffee Workshop, for example. At its canning facility near Muskegon, the company is offering its workers access to English upskilling as an employee benefit. Workers can complete bite-sized, on-demand courses during their breaks, learning English vocabulary and job skills that they can immediately apply at work. La Colombe even goes a step further by providing paid time during the workday for workers to leverage these courses, access live online classes and workshops, and connect with one-on-one support from a multilingual coach. The program addresses the challenges of busy working adults by offering practical, real-world language training that integrates seamlessly into their day-to-day lives.
“Before EnGen I couldn’t understand anything in English at all,” one La Colombe employee recently told us. “Now I understand what my supervisor tells me, my work is getting better because I now understand the instructions given.”
This approach is paying off: a recent analysis found that every $1 that Michigan invests in English upskilling generates $7 for the state’s local economy. Michigan is not alone. Colorado and Maine have also invested in state-wide English upskilling programs and are seeing strong returns. English upskilling is a proven strategy for workforce development and economic growth.
This is only the beginning. By further scaling this initiative, the state can address labor shortages, close critical skills gaps, and solidify its position as a leader in workforce innovation. It’s time for more Michigan employers to take advantage of this critical training opportunity. And it’s time for other states to follow Michigan’s lead.
English upskilling isn’t just another employee benefit—it’s a game-changer for workers, businesses, and the state’s economy as a whole. By embracing this approach, Michigan can ensure it remains at the forefront of strengthening the country’s workforce and unlocking the full potential of its labor force.
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More than 250 EnGen licenses are now available for free via the Michigan Global Talent Initiative (MGTI), a statewide talent development strategy designed to power the local workforce. The licenses, already in use by Michigan-based employers, community colleges, and workforce development organizations to upskill local workforces, are now available directly to individual learners who seek to improve their English skills for work.
Licenses for individual learners: https://getengen.com/mgti-individual-registration
Licenses for employers and organizations: https://getengen.com/mgti
