Talent Together aims to reduce Michigan’s teacher shortage by lending a hand to qualified candidates whose financial limitations might otherwise keep them from school districts in severe need.
The non-profit is a consortium of Michigan’s 56 Intermediate School Districts with about 1,100 Michiganders now enrolled in programs that will ultimately lead to their earning their teacher certifications.
Those certifications can’t come soon enough for rural districts, which are hardest hit when there aren’t enough teachers to go around, according to The Education Policy Innovation Collaborative at Michigan State University, which recently released its 2025 Michigan Teacher Shortage Study.
The study found that rural districts face more severe teacher shortages because of their smaller size and a limited number of teachers seeking to work in those locations. Fewer teachers can lead to larger classes and under-credentialed teachers in specialties, such as special education.
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Courtesy of Talent TogetherThe Talent Together staff at a recent retreat in Grand Rapids.That’s where Talent Together steps in by putting qualified candidates into certification programs in Michigan universities — at no cost to students.
“That was one of the design elements when Talent Together was being created, to remove the barriers of cost and accessibility,” said Sarah Campbell, Talent Together’s senior director of finance and operations. “One thing that I think is important to remember is that education is really infrastructure. We need to think about having strong teachers. If something were to happen, it would be like something happening to power or water — people depend on education in that way.”
Financing came when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an education budget in July 2023 that allocated $66.4 million for the new teacher recruitment initiative, Talent Together, that would focus its efforts on teacher training and retention.
“We’ve now received a second allocation for $12.5 million,” Campbell said. “We’re seeing a really high return on investment. We’re getting a lot of money, and that money is going back to teachers in the program in all counties across the state. During apprenticeship, students are paid 80 percent of a first-year teacher’s salary with full benefits”
Removing the worry of tuition and accessibility — all programs are online — resulted in many applications, about 5,000 since the program was launched.
Amy Peterson, Talent Together’s regional program director for the U.P. and Northern Michigan, said when the consortium first came together in 2023, it was expected that a few candidates would apply, but to their astonishment, there was immediately much more interest.
“We really thought that first year might bring a few candidates then we had such a response,” Peterson said. “Initially, there were 12 candidates on the first list, then 50, then that turned into several hundred.”
The students say that going to school without worrying about tuition makes all the difference.
Alyssa Hoholik has been working for Jack Reque Alternative High School in Manistique for the past seven years beginning as a teacher’s aide before pursuing her teaching degree. She applied to Talent Together on the recommendation of her superintendent and said she was thrilled when she was admitted.
“This opportunity means my final year of school will be fully funded by Talent Together, and I will step into an apprentice teaching role the following school year,” Hoholik said. “After nearly three years of hard work, my dream is finally starting to come true.”
When asked how teaching would impact districts and students, she elaborated.
“This program will provide greater access to education and help school districts cultivate teachers from within their own staff, as well as those who aspire to teach but aren’t sure what the next step is,” she said. “I believe it’s an excellent opportunity for aspiring educators and will have a positive impact on the future of teaching.”
Peterson said there were 179 applicants in the U.P. in the latest recruitment that closed in January
“We’re going through those applications and will accept about 8 percent in the U.P.,” she said.
She added that retention has been positive with graduates staying in their apprenticeship districts where they’re needed most. Science, math, and special ed are currently the areas of highest need.
“Right now, in the U.P., for example, last year, we had three candidates in our registered apprenticeship program — all three of those candidates have been hired in those districts. This year we have 11 apprentice teachers in the U.P. in places like Gwinn, Gladstone — spread out across the U.P.”
The program’s being online helps students who are often working other jobs and raising families. Many are enrolled through Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
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Courtesy of Talent TogetherA panel at a staff retreat in Grand Rapids included apprentice teacher candidates and others. At NMU, about 30 students are expected to be admitted for the 2025 group. Each group is called a cohort and forms tight bonds through Zoom.
“Their tenacity and problem-solving, coming back to school, online — they’re putting themselves out there every day — I give a lot of credit to the learner,” said Dr. Joseph Lubig, associate dean of NMU’s School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service.
Peterson, who is the former superintendent on Mackinac Island, travels the U.P. meeting students and said she was touched by students in one cohort who showed up in person to a graduation ceremony.
“I went to a student’s graduation, and her cohort, her people who she’d taken online courses with for one year without meeting, they showed up,” Peterson said. “They called themselves the Davenport Rockstars. They created a community and were meeting face to face for the first time.”
Student Heather Bedo is working for the Wyandotte Public School District near Detroit and said her cohort is part of her success.
“We help each other when we are struggling with classwork and life,” Bedo said. “This has been very helpful to get us through the hard times … We try to get together for lunch when we have breaks from school. We are also trying to get our families together when we graduate with our master's so that they can all see us walk for the ceremony.”
Leaders say the program’s success is based on its strong partnerships. Talent Together, universities, ISDs, Michigan Works!, and state legislators.
“Michigan Works has been a really great partner making sure this apprenticeship is sustained and expanded, offsetting the costs helping this whole program work,” Campbell said. “Northern was one of our first partners. Everyone kind of took a leap of faith in the beginning. It was this beautiful partnership, a collaboration you don’t often see in other states.”
Darren Widder, director or special initiatives for Michigan Works!, explained, “We are a Talent Together program partner and are helping with sustainability and expansion efforts by offsetting some of the costs of apprenticeship for the school districts and can provide additional wrap-around support for those in the program to help ensure their success.”
Those qualified to apply for Talent Together include any Michigan resident with at least a high school diploma and interest in becoming an educator.
- Paraeducators who have yet to complete their bachelor’s degree
- Substitute teachers who have a bachelor’s degree and still need to earn certification.
- Parents and community members interested in teaching as a career
- Professionals who wish to change careers
“Being admitted into the Talent Together program felt like I was finally going to be able to finish what I had started so many years ago that I thought would never be a possibility but now I could see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Bedo said. “It makes me feel like I will have a real impact on student’s lives and be able to make a difference.”
For more information, go to mitalenttogether.org.
Paula McCambridge has been writing and editing for more than 25 years. She won her first awards for feature writing and ongoing news coverage at the Daily Mining Gazette in Houghton, Michigan.