Michigan
MI
Going PRO Talent Fund
the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Going PRO Talent Fund page and FY26 Employer Guide
source
$2,000
per trainee, classroom training
$250,000
maximum award per employer site
AI named
as eligible training, if not introductory
Closed
FY26 employer cycles; FY27 dates not yet published
Program terms checked against the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Going PRO Talent Fund page and FY26 Employer Guide on September 25, 2026. Fiscal 2027 terms are not yet published.
Five things have to be true. | We check them with you.
Going PRO is one of the few state programs that names AI training outright. It also has firm rules on who counts and what the training has to produce. Send the form and we will check the points below on a short call, so you are ready when the next cycle opens.
  • You are a private for-profit or non-profit employer with a work location in Michigan, current on your state taxes
  • The people you train are permanent, full-time W-2 employees (32 or more hours a week), 18 or older, who work primarily in Michigan
  • The training leads to a credential that is transferable and recognized by industry
  • The course goes past an introductory overview of AI tools
  • You apply through your local Michigan Works! agency during an open cycle, and training starts after the award date
The cap is $2,000 per trainee for classroom training, or $3,500 for USDOL registered apprenticeship. Company size does not change it. Awards top out at $250,000 per employer site.
Michigan has no size-based rate, and smaller employers win plenty of awards: the state reports that most awards since 2014 went to companies with fewer than 100 employees. Send the form and we will check the credential question with you.
In Michigan, a $3,000 seat is above the $2,000 classroom cap, so up to $2,000 per trainee can come back if approved, and your company covers the other $1,000. The course also has to lead to an industry-recognized credential, which we confirm with your Michigan Works! agency first.
Next cycle dates are not out yet
Michigan runs its employer cycles in short windows through your local Michigan Works! agency. Get the fit check done now so you are ready when fiscal 2027 opens.
Michigan · Going PRO Talent Fund

Michigan AI Training Grants: Going PRO Covers Up to $2,000 per Trainee

Michigan's Going PRO Talent Fund pays for training current and new employees, up to $2,000 per trainee for classroom training, and it names AI training as eligible when it goes past an introductory overview. You apply through your local Michigan Works! agency. The fiscal 2026 employer cycles have closed, and next year's dates are not published yet.

Check my eligibilitySee how the money works
Up to 100%of course cost reimbursed
$3,000per employee, per course
$15,000per company, per calendar year
10 hrslive, instructor-led training

Program terms checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026.

15 minute eligibility check

Six things have to be true. We check them with you.

The Express Program is simple once you know you qualify. Send the form and we will confirm each point on a short call, pick the course, and set a start date that clears the 21-day filing rule.

  • You have 100 or fewer Massachusetts W-2 employees
  • You have a physical Massachusetts location, owned or leased
  • Trainees are W-2 employees who work in Massachusetts (not owners, 1099 contractors or temps)
  • Your three state documents are current
  • No trainee has had the same or similar funded training in the last five years
  • Training happens on paid time, at regular wages
Over 100 employees? The General Program funds $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match. Use the same form and we will route you.

See if your team qualifies

Takes about a minute. We reply within one business day.

With more than 100 Massachusetts employees, Express will not fit, but the General Program can: $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match, and wages paid during training count toward it. Send the form and we will walk you through that route.

No cost and no obligation. Help with the application is free, and you file it. Approval is decided by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed.

✓

Got it. You are on our list.

We will email you within one business day to set up the 15 minute call. A checklist is on its way to your inbox now. Want to skip the back and forth?

Pick a time now
Local view

How Michigan pays for AI training, in plain terms

The Going PRO Talent Fund is run by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and delivered through the local Michigan Works! agencies. It pays employers back for short-term training that closes a real skill gap and leads to a credential that is transferable and recognized by industry.

Michigan is unusually direct about AI. The state's employer guide lists AI training as eligible when it focuses on upskilling for AI-related technologies or a specific technical use of AI at work. It also says AI training should not be an introductory overview course. For a small or mid-sized business, that is state money to train staff to automate repetitive work and compete with larger, better-funded competitors.

You choose the trainer. Eligible providers include private training providers, colleges and universities, and community colleges. Live, instructor-led online classes are allowed. Self-paced recorded courses are not. The state prefers training that happens in Michigan. If training has to happen out of state, the need and the reason go to your Michigan Works! agency in writing. Our trainer is based in Massachusetts, so we plan for that step.

Timing is the catch right now. Both fiscal 2026 employer cycles have closed, and the fiscal 2027 dates are not published yet.

Region
Statewide
Who runs the grant
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, through the local Michigan Works! agencies
Check my eligibility
Use cases

What a trained team automates first

Training is the starting line. These are the repetitive jobs small and mid-size businesses take off their people's plates once the team knows how to direct AI and check its work.

The edge the big players already have

Private equity backed competitors are buying up trades, practices and service businesses and running them on centralized software with a back-office team behind it. An independent business does not need that overhead to match them. A trained staff plus a handful of well-chosen automations gives a regular small business a true technological edge: faster answers, tighter books, cleaner data, and owners who get their evenings back.

End-of-day bookkeeping and reconciliation

Daily sales, deposits and card batches matched against the books every night. Entries are drafted, exceptions are flagged, and a person only reviews what does not tie out.

An AI receptionist that books the appointment

Calls answered after hours and during the rush. It takes the details, books straight into your calendar, texts a confirmation, and hands off to a person when the call needs one.

A CRM that fills itself in

Calls, web forms, emails and your job or practice software feed contact records, notes and next steps automatically. No more end-of-week data entry, and no more leads that never got logged.

Reports that build themselves

The weekly numbers pulled from your systems, written up in plain language and in your inbox Monday morning. Revenue, jobs, margins, pipeline, cash. Nobody assembles a spreadsheet.

Estimates and proposals in minutes

Site notes, photos, measurements or an intake call turned into a priced draft in your own template. Your estimator reviews and sends instead of starting from a blank page.

Invoicing and collections follow-up

Invoices go out when the job closes. Reminders go out on schedule, in your voice. An aging summary tells you each week who needs a phone call.

Scheduling and dispatch

Requests sorted by urgency, location and skill. Crews and customers notified automatically, with reschedules handled without six phone calls.

Document intake and data entry

Vendor bills, certificates of insurance, applications, permits and forms read and keyed into your system, with anything unclear routed to a person.

Reviews, follow-ups and repeat business

A check-in after every job, a review request when the customer is happy, a reply drafted for every review, and a reminder when it is time for the next service.

What this looks like in your industry

Same skills, different paperwork. Pick yours.

Construction and general contractors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Bid packages: takeoff notes and sub quotes assembled into a proposal in your format
  • Change orders: written up from a voice note on site, priced, and sent for signature the same day
  • Daily logs: crew texts and photos turned into a dated job report
  • Sub compliance: certificates of insurance and lien waivers tracked, with renewals chased automatically
  • Job costing: receipts and timesheets coded to the right job and phase every night
  • Owner updates: a weekly progress summary drafted from the logs

Roofing, siding and exteriors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Storm response: every call answered and every inspection booked when the phones spike
  • Estimates: measurements and inspection photos turned into a good, better, best proposal
  • Insurance paperwork: claim documentation and supplements drafted from the inspection file
  • Material orders: built from the signed scope and sent to the supplier
  • Production schedule: crews, deliveries and weather holds kept in sync, with customers notified
  • Warranty and reviews: registration, follow-up and review requests after final payment

HVAC, plumbing and electrical

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • After-hours calls: emergencies triaged and dispatched, routine calls booked for the morning
  • Dispatch: jobs matched to the right tech by skill, location and parts on the truck
  • Maintenance plans: renewals, tune-up reminders and booking handled without office time
  • Quotes on site: options priced from the tech's notes before they leave the driveway
  • Invoices: created from the completed work order and sent the same day
  • Parts and inventory: usage logged from work orders, with reorder lists each week

Law, accounting and advisory firms

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices, or AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

  • Client intake: inquiries summarized, conflicts and fit checked, and the consult booked
  • Document requests: the checklist sent, reminders chased, and what arrives filed to the right matter
  • First drafts: engagement letters, routine correspondence and summaries in the firm's voice
  • Time capture: entries drafted from calendars, emails and documents for review
  • Month-end and tax season: client books reconciled and workpapers prepared faster
  • Billing: invoices, reminders and an aging report without a partner chasing it

Medical, dental and wellness offices

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices

  • Phones: scheduling, reschedules and common questions handled without putting patients on hold
  • Recall and reminders: overdue patients contacted and open slots filled from the waitlist
  • Front desk paperwork: forms and insurance details read and entered ahead of the visit
  • Billing follow-up: statements, balance reminders and payment plan messages on schedule
  • Staff documents: policies, training checklists and schedules drafted and kept current
  • Reviews: requests sent after visits, with replies drafted for approval

Restaurants and hospitality

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Nightly close: POS sales, tips, deposits and delivery payouts reconciled and booked
  • Phones: reservations, hours and catering inquiries answered during service
  • Ordering: vendor order sheets built from sales and par levels
  • Scheduling: a draft schedule from the forecast, availability and labor targets
  • Catering and events: proposals and follow-ups out within the hour
  • Reviews and social: replies drafted and weekly posts prepared from the specials

Manufacturing and distribution

Usual course fit: Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

  • Order entry: emailed and PDF purchase orders read and keyed into your system
  • Production reporting: shift counts and scrap turned into a daily report by line
  • Quality paperwork: certs and inspection records assembled for each shipment
  • Quoting: RFQs priced from your history and routed for approval
  • Inventory: reorder points watched, with purchase suggestions every week
  • Customer updates: order status and ship dates sent without a phone call

Property management and real estate

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Maintenance requests: logged, triaged and dispatched to the right vendor
  • Leasing inquiries: answered at any hour, with showings booked
  • Rent and owner reporting: ledgers reconciled and monthly owner statements drafted
  • Renewals: notices, reminders and paperwork on a schedule
  • Vendor paperwork: insurance certificates and W-9s collected and tracked
  • Listings: descriptions and follow-ups written from the unit details

One thing to keep straight: the Workforce Training Fund pays for the training, not for building these systems. Your trained team can run many of them with tools you already own. When you want one built properly and built fast, that is the work JMK Ventures does, and it starts with a free audit.

Check my eligibility Map my automations (free audit)
How the money works

One state program, run through your local Michigan Works! agency. It pays up to a fixed amount per trainee.

Going PRO Talent Fund

For private for-profit and non-profit employers with a Michigan work location. Government bodies, public institutions, school districts and utilities are excluded, and staffing agencies are reviewed case by case.

  • Up to $2,000 per trainee for classroom or customized training
  • Up to $3,500 per person for USDOL registered apprenticeship
  • Up to $250,000 per employer site
  • No required match, but costs above the cap, wages during training and travel are yours
  • An extra $500 per trainee for certain groups the state names, such as veterans and workers 55 or older, and $1,000 for trainees earning a high school equivalency

What the training has to be

Short-term, tied to a skill gap, and leading to a credential that is transferable and recognized by industry. Online classes count only if they are live and instructor-led. No single training should run longer than six months.

The clock

In fiscal 2026, the first employer cycle took applications October 14 to 30, 2025, and the second April 6 to 24, 2026. Both have closed. Employer Led Collaborative applications, for groups of employers, opened July 7, 2026 and stay open until funds run out. Nothing is reimbursed for training before the award date.

The example

A 25-person company sends four full-time employees through one course that meets the credential rule. Tuition is $12,000. If approved, up to $8,000 comes back at $2,000 per trainee, and the company's cost is $4,000.

Michigan's fiscal 2026 employer cycles have closed. Employer Led Collaborative applications opened July 7, 2026 and stay open until funds run out. Fiscal 2027 dates and terms are not published yet, and this page reflects the fiscal 2026 guide. We will update it when the state publishes the next cycle.
The courses

Five live AI courses. $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum.

Every course is 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, built around the work your people already do. The price is $300 an hour, so $3,000 per trainee, with a two-seat minimum per cohort. In Massachusetts, $300 an hour is the state's hourly cap, and five seats equals $15,000 in tuition, which is the annual Express cap, so up to the full amount can come back if your application is approved.

COURSE 01

AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

For a mixed group: managers, admins, customer service and the bookkeeper learning the same practical skills together.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 02

Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

The technical option, for whoever lives in spreadsheets, exports and recurring reports.

2.5 hrs x 4 weeksUp to 6 trainees
COURSE 03

AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

For the people who close the month, run payroll and chase receivables.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 04

AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

For contractors and home services: estimating, dispatch, job documentation and customer follow-up.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 05

AI for Professional Practices

For law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices that run on documents and deadlines.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees

Not sure which one fits?

Tell us who you would send and what each person does. We will tell you where we would put them.

Check my eligibility
Course fit

Picking the right course for your Michigan team

The five courses are the same in every state: 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum. Start with who will be in the room. A mixed group of managers, admins and customer-facing staff belongs in AI Enablement for Small Business Teams. If the pressure is in the back office, AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams is built for the people who close the month and run payroll.

Contractors, home services and any crew-based business should look at AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses. Law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices fit AI for Professional Practices. And if you have someone who lives in spreadsheets, exports and reports, Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams is the technical option, with a smaller cohort of up to 6.

In Michigan, depth matters. The state excludes introductory AI overview courses, soft skills and Microsoft Office training, and wants a transferable, industry-recognized credential. The role-specific courses and Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams have the strongest case. AI Enablement for Small Business Teams is the broadest, so we confirm with your Michigan Works! agency before counting on it.

How it works

Four steps from form to reimbursement

1. Confirm the fit

A 15 minute call to confirm the five eligibility points, pick the course and the full-time employees who will attend, and check the credential question.

2. Meet your Michigan Works! agency

Your local agency runs a fact-finding session on your skill gaps, gives you access to the state's online system, and submits the application to the state for you during an open cycle. If training is delivered from out of state, the reason goes to the agency in writing.

3. Train after the award

Training starts after the award date. Your team takes 10 hours of live, instructor-led training over 4 to 5 weeks, and you pay the course invoice.

4. Get reimbursed

You send your Michigan Works! agency the provider's invoice and completion documentation, such as certificates or credentials signed by the provider. Reimbursement is paid after the paperwork is complete.

Read this before you budget

The grant pays for training. Not for the build.

What can be reimbursed

  • Training costs, up to $2,000 per trainee for classroom training
  • Up to $3,500 per person for USDOL registered apprenticeship
  • Up to $250,000 per employer site

What the program does not cover

  • Wages for current employees during training
  • Consulting, implementation and work on your own systems
  • Laptops, computers, tools and other equipment
  • Online training subscriptions, licensing fees and testing fees
  • Travel to training, curriculum development, and any training before the award date

Plan your AI rollout as two budgets: training through the grant, and implementation as its own project. Our free AI capability audit maps the second one.

Local questions

Questions we hear from employers here

Does Michigan pay for AI training?

Yes, through the Going PRO Talent Fund, when the AI training goes past an introductory overview. The state's employer guide names AI training focused on AI-related technologies or a specific technical use at work as eligible. It pays up to $2,000 per trainee for classroom training, through your local Michigan Works! agency.

How much comes back on a $3,000 seat?

Up to $2,000 per trainee, if approved. Four employees at $3,000 each is $12,000 in tuition, with up to $8,000 back and $4,000 on your side. There is no required match, but anything above the cap is yours.

Is the Going PRO Talent Fund open right now?

Not for single employers. Both fiscal 2026 employer cycles have closed, and fiscal 2027 dates are not published yet. Employer Led Collaborative applications, for groups of employers, opened July 7, 2026 and stay open until funds run out.

Who qualifies as an employer?

Private for-profit and non-profit employers with a work location in Michigan that are current on state taxes. Government bodies, public institutions, school districts, utilities and unions as employers are excluded. Staffing agencies are reviewed case by case.

Who counts as a trainee?

Permanent, full-time W-2 employees working 32 or more hours a week, 18 or older, who work primarily in Michigan and pay Michigan taxes. Where they live does not matter. Seasonal and part-time staff do not qualify.

Does the training have to lead to a credential?

Yes. Michigan requires training that leads to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by industry. We confirm with your Michigan Works! agency that the course meets that test before you apply.

Can we use our own trainer, or one from out of state?

Yes, you choose the trainer, and private training providers are an eligible type. The state prefers training in Michigan. If training has to happen out of state, the need and reason go to your Michigan Works! agency in writing. Our trainer is based in Massachusetts, so we prepare that justification with you.

Can the training be online?

Yes, if it is live and instructor-led. Self-paced recorded courses are not eligible. We will confirm the delivery format with your agency before we promise on-site or virtual sessions.

Does it cover wages during training?

No. Wages for current employees are not reimbursed, except for USDOL registered apprentices. Plan on paying your team for the 10 training hours.

How and when is the money paid?

After training, on a reimbursement basis. You send the provider's invoice and completion documentation to your Michigan Works! agency, and payment follows once the paperwork is complete. Training before the award date is never reimbursed.

Does it cover software, equipment or consulting?

No. Laptops and equipment, online training subscriptions, licensing and testing fees, travel and curriculum development are all excluded. Consulting and implementation are not training and are not covered.

What is the first step?

Get the fit check done now so you are ready for the next cycle. Send the form and we will confirm the eligibility points and help you contact your local Michigan Works! agency. You can also email the program at LEO-TalentFund@michigan.gov.

Where we work

Five New England states, and a local page for every major Massachusetts city

Each state runs its own training grant with its own rules, so each state has its own page. Massachusetts also gets a page per city, because the program is the same statewide but the businesses are not.

By state
Massachusetts cities
This year's $15,000 does not roll over

Fifteen minutes tells you if the state will cover your team's AI training.

The cap resets each calendar year and the application has to be in 21 days before the course starts. Start with the eligibility check.

Check my eligibility See the five courses
No cost, no obligationApplication help is freeYou pay first, then get reimbursed

Courses are delivered by Support Forge, a registered Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Express Program training provider based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. JMK Ventures offers these courses as a Support Forge partner and may be compensated when you enroll. Neither company is affiliated with or endorsed by Commonwealth Corporation or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Commonwealth Corporation does not endorse the quality of any listed training provider. Reimbursement depends on your application being approved by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed. Program terms were checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026 and can change.