Michigan Business Network

Chris Holman welcomes Roger Curtis, Executive Director, Youth Solutions, Benton Harbor, MI. Chris Holman of Michigan Business Beat interviews Roger Curtis, Executive Director of Youth Solutions, a Benton Harbor-based organization working at the intersection of education and workforce development to help young people across Michigan discover career pathways. Over 16 years, Youth Solutions has impacted more than 39,000 students through data-driven, curriculum-backed programs delivered by around 160 trained specialists, with a particular focus on at-risk and first-generation post-secondary youth. Curtis shares the breaking news that the Jobs for Michigan's Graduates program achieved a 100% graduation rate this year — a first in the organization's history. He also describes the Foundations program, which works to transform entire school cultures around career-focused education, noting that 82% of surveyed students said they'd be more engaged if they understood how their coursework connected to career pathways.