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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...

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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...

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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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Announcing a Regional Agreement to Solve Early Literacy Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Grand Rapids, MI (February 10, 2025) — An alliance of business, K-12 and teaching-college leaders today announced an unprecedented agreement to increase...

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Why We’re Giving All Employers Access to Our Childcare Solutions

Successful business leaders don’t tolerate broken components of their operations. When a department fails to deliver, when costs overrun revenue, when a system breaks down?...

Three interns, right, speak to a mentor wearing glasses in a technical/industrial setting.

Work-Based Learning: The Key to Next-Generation Talent

Before joining Mercantile Bank a decade ago, Misti Stanton worked in education for 25 years. Today, as Mercantile’s Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,...

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Award Highlights TalentFirst’s Contributions to Adult Education

Adult education — in all its forms — is a vital link to our economic and social well-being. It connects people to rewarding, good-paying jobs....

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