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Moving Michigan Males Forward: Why Young Men Are Falling Behind—And How Employers Can Help Lead the Solution

By Kevin Stotts, President, TalentFirst Across Michigan and the nation, young men are experiencing declining outcomes in education and workforce participation. They graduate high school...

How West Michigan Is Powering Early Literacy

Inside TalentFirst’s 2025 Adopt-a-Classroom Library Program Michigan is in an early literacy crisis. Only 38.9% of third graders read at grade level, putting thousands of...

TalentFirst Champions Early Literacy with Adopt-a-Classroom Library Program

Grand Rapids, MI – December 10, 2025 — TalentFirst today announced seven West Michigan elementary schools selected to receive new classroom libraries through its Adopt-A-Classroom...

Building a Stronger Manufacturing Workforce: The Power of Collaboration

As manufacturers across West Michigan continue to navigate workforce shortages, a first-of-its-kind employer collaboration is proving that shared challenges are best solved together. Launched in...

Navigating the AI Era: How West Michigan Can Turn Disruption into Opportunity

By Kevin Stotts, President, TalentFirst When WOOD TV recently explored how “West Michigan industries mull how to navigate AI,” the conversation underscored a defining moment...

TalentFirst Industry Deep Dives: Where West Michigan’s Talent Strategy Gets Real

West Michigan’s talent market is shifting in ways that will set the trajectory for growth over the next decade. Retirement risk is accelerating. Hiring is...

Solving the Talent Constraint: Skills, Agility, and the CEO Imperative

West Michigan—and the nation—are at an inflection point. Retirements will outpace new entrants for the next two decades, creating a high demand for fresh talent...

AI and the Future of Work in West Michigan: A Catalyst, Not a Replacement

AI is no longer a distant concept — it’s here, reshaping industries and redefining how people work. From advanced manufacturing and healthcare to financial services...

Opening Doors with MiCareerCompass

By Kevin Stotts, President of TalentFirst At the Believe in Our City event in early September of 2025, I had the chance to share...

From Risk to Resilience: How West Michigan’s Leaders Are Future-Proofing Their Workforce

By Kevin Stotts, President of TalentFirst The numbers are clear, and the stakes are high. Nearly one in four workers in our region is...

These schools stand apart: Six elementaries earn Literacy Leader Awards

TalentFirst has announced the 2025 winners of its Literacy Leader Awards: six West Michigan elementary schools whose excellence in reading instruction and accomplishment will be...

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