LEO presents FY26 workforce priorities, requests funding for apprenticeships, barrier removal, UI modernization

Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, outlined the department’s workforce and program priorities and the administration’s fiscal year 2026 budget recommendations to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity.

Corbin said the governor’s proposed budget would support training, barrier-removal services, and apprenticeship expansion and noted the department’s role as the state’s lead agency on talent and workforce. “The governor’s proposed investments will help lower costs for working families, ensure every child can succeed from pre-K through postsecondary education, and create an environment where any person or business can make it in Michigan,” Corbin said.

Corbin emphasized that most of LEO’s funding is federal and that the governor’s recommended ongoing funding for LEO totals about $1.8 billion, with roughly $239.5 million from the state general fund and $83.5 million in one-time general fund requests for FY26. She said just over 65% of LEO’s funding comes…