For Michigan’s workforce to keep pace with the evolution of advances in automation and technology, leaders of business, education, philanthropy and public policy must collaborate — and that collaboration must be long-term. That was the consensus of a panel of experts who discussed Wednesday how to best align the state’s industry and workforce needs. The panel, “Training for the Future: Aligning Michigan’s Industry and Workforce Needs,” kicked off the first day of the 2018 Mackinac Policy Conference, and endeavored to answer the question at the heart of one of the three Conference pillars: Is Michigan Prepared?

Panelists agreed that more preparation is needed. But they also agreed that although the future of Michigan’s automated workforce is uncertain, it is not necessarily scary.