Advocacy & Government Relations

MichCDA Advocacy Platform

What We Believe

  • The Michigan Career Development Association (MichCDA) is the go-to professional organization for career development practitioners in Michigan. We support the career development field through professional growth, education, member engagement, leadership opportunities, connections, shared knowledge, and resources.

    Our mission is to promote career planning and development across the lifespan, resulting in personal satisfaction and success for students, clients, and constituents across Michigan.

    As a professional association representing career counselors, career development practitioners, K–12 career educators, academic advisors, career coaches, private practice counselors and coaches, workforce development professionals, and individuals working in government, industry, and business, MichCDA brings a broad professional perspective to conversations about education, workforce development, and the future of work.

  • Every person in Michigan has equitable access to high-quality career development throughout their lifespan and the support needed to make informed, meaningful, and sustainable career decisions.

    MichCDA believes career development is an essential component of a strong education and workforce ecosystem. Individuals should have opportunities to explore their interests and strengths, understand educational and career options, navigate transitions, develop career management skills, and adapt to an evolving world of work.

    We advocate for policies that strengthen access to career development, support the professionals who provide these services, connect education and workforce systems, and help Michigan residents successfully navigate their career journeys.

  • As MichCDA engages in public policy and government relations, our advocacy will be guided by our organizational values of Advocacy, Collaboration, Learning, Networking, and Support.

    We will strive to:

    • Center the individual. Career development policy should support people as whole individuals rather than treating them solely as workers, students, or economic participants.

    • Elevate the profession. MichCDA will use the collective expertise of career development professionals to contribute informed perspectives to policy discussions.

    • Build bridges. Effective career development requires collaboration among education, workforce development, government, employers, community organizations, and career development professionals.

    • Promote access and opportunity. We will advocate for policies that expand meaningful access to career development and reduce barriers to career opportunity.

    • Encourage informed decision-making. Career decisions should be supported by reliable information, individualized guidance, and consideration of both personal goals and labor market realities.

    • Embrace responsible innovation. Technology and emerging tools should be used thoughtfully and ethically to enhance—not diminish—the quality, accessibility, and human-centered nature of career development.

    • Lead with evidence and expertise. MichCDA will seek to ground its advocacy in professional expertise, research, data, ethical practice, and the lived experiences of the individuals and communities served by career development professionals.

  • MichCDA is committed to serving as a knowledgeable and constructive voice for career development in Michigan.

    We will work collaboratively with policymakers, educators, workforce development organizations, employers, community partners, professional associations, and other stakeholders to advance policies that strengthen career development opportunities for Michigan residents.

    Through advocacy, education, collaboration, and professional leadership, MichCDA seeks to help create a Michigan where every person has the opportunity and support to navigate their career journey with confidence, informed choice, and purpose.

Policy Priorities

What We’re Focused On

  • MichCDA advocates for policies that recognize career development as an ongoing process that extends throughout an individual's life.

    We support:

    • Expanding access to high-quality career planning and development services across K–12 education, postsecondary education, workforce development, community-based organizations, employment settings, and other appropriate settings.

    • Recognizing career development as more than job placement or occupational training, encompassing career exploration, self-awareness, decision-making, career management, and lifelong adaptability.

    • Increasing access to qualified career development professionals who can provide individualized guidance and support.

    • Policies that help individuals make informed decisions about education, training, employment, career advancement, and career transitions.

    • Career development approaches that recognize individual interests, values, strengths, goals, and circumstances while also incorporating relevant labor market information and opportunities.

  • Michigan's career development professionals play an important role in helping individuals navigate increasingly complex educational and employment environments.

    MichCDA advocates for policies and investments that strengthen the career development profession and promote high-quality, ethical practice.

    We support:

    • Recognition of career development professionals as an essential component of Michigan's education, workforce, and career development infrastructure.

    • Access to high-quality professional development and continuing education for individuals working in career development.

    • Professional practices grounded in established career development theories, research, ethical standards, and evidence-informed approaches.

    • Opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among career counselors, coaches, educators, advisors, workforce professionals, and other practitioners.

    • Policies and programs that appropriately equip career development professionals with the knowledge, skills, technology, and resources necessary to serve Michigan residents effectively.

    • Continued development of the career development workforce to meet the evolving needs of Michigan's students, workers, employers, and communities.

  • MichCDA believes education and career development are interconnected. Students and learners should have meaningful opportunities to understand how their education connects to future possibilities.

    We support:

    • High-quality career exploration and career literacy beginning in K–12 education and continuing throughout postsecondary education and training.

    • Stronger connections among schools, colleges and universities, career development professionals, workforce development organizations, employers, and community partners.

    • Expanded opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, job shadowing, cooperative education, experiential learning, and other meaningful career-connected experiences.

    • Policies that help students and learners understand educational pathways, occupations, skills, and labor market opportunities.

    • Seamless transitions between education, training, employment, and continued career development.

    • Greater integration of career development into educational and workforce initiatives rather than treating career development as a separate or supplemental service.

  • Michigan residents need support not only when entering the workforce, but throughout periods of career change, disruption, growth, and transition.

    MichCDA advocates for policies that recognize career development as a critical component of workforce mobility and economic resilience.

    We support:

    • Access to career development services for individuals experiencing unemployment, underemployment, layoffs, career changes, re-entry, reskilling, upskilling, or other career transitions.

    • Integration of career counseling, coaching, and navigation services into workforce development and training initiatives.

    • Policies that help individuals identify transferable skills and understand how their skills and experiences can translate across occupations and industries.

    • Career development services that help individuals navigate changing labor market conditions, emerging occupations, technological change, and evolving employer expectations.

    • Workforce initiatives that address both the technical and human dimensions of career transition.

    • Policies that support lifelong career adaptability and the ability to navigate multiple career transitions over the course of a person's working life.

  • MichCDA believes access to meaningful career development should not depend on a person's age, geographic location, educational pathway, employment status, or circumstances.

    We support:

    • Equitable access to high-quality career development services throughout Michigan.

    • Policies that identify and reduce barriers to education, training, employment, career advancement, and career development services.

    • Accessible and inclusive career development opportunities for individuals with disabilities, veterans, adult learners, displaced workers, rural communities, and others who may experience barriers to career opportunity.

    • Career development services that are responsive to the needs and circumstances of Michigan's diverse communities.

    • Policies that expand access to career information, resources, technology, and qualified professionals.

    • Approaches that respect individual autonomy and recognize that career success may look different for different people.

  • MichCDA recognizes the value of accurate labor market information in helping individuals make informed career and educational decisions.

    We support:

    • Continued investment in accurate, timely, accessible, and understandable labor market information.

    • Stronger connections between labor market data, career development services, education systems, and workforce development programs.

    • Tools and resources that help career development professionals translate labor market information into meaningful guidance for the individuals they serve.

    • Policies that promote informed decision-making while recognizing that career decisions involve individual interests, values, strengths, goals, and circumstances in addition to labor market conditions.

    • Collaboration among government agencies, educational institutions, workforce organizations, employers, and career development professionals to improve the availability and use of career and labor market information.

  • Technology and artificial intelligence are rapidly changing the way individuals explore careers, access information, search for employment, and receive career development services. MichCDA believes innovation should enhance career development while protecting the people it serves.

    We advocate for:

    • Responsible, ethical, and transparent use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies in career development, education, and workforce systems.

    • Protection of personally identifiable, student, client, and job seeker information.

    • Appropriate transparency when automated or AI-enabled systems are used in career, educational, or employment-related decision-making.

    • Meaningful human oversight when technology is used in decisions that may significantly affect an individual's educational or career opportunities.

    • Digital and AI literacy for career development professionals and the individuals they serve.

    • Technology practices that expand access to career development rather than create additional barriers.

    • Policies and practices that uphold professional ethics, individual autonomy, privacy, and informed decision-making as technology continues to evolve.

Advocacy Toolkit

How You Can Help

MichCDA believes advocacy is not limited to professional lobbyists, organizational leaders, or individuals with extensive government relations experience. We believe everyone can play a role in advancing career development in Michigan.

Advocacy may include:

  • Staying informed about legislation and public policy affecting career development.

  • Sharing information and advocacy resources with colleagues and community partners.

  • Contacting elected officials to share professional expertise or constituent experiences.

  • Attending town halls, public meetings, and legislative events.

  • Inviting policymakers to learn about career development programs and services in their communities.

  • Sharing stories that demonstrate the impact of career development.

  • Participating in MichCDA advocacy initiatives and legislative outreach.

  • Building relationships with policymakers and other organizations working in education, workforce development, and related fields.

  • Contributing professional expertise to public policy discussions.

  • Supporting efforts that strengthen career development opportunities for Michigan residents.

Advocacy can start with one conversation, one story, one email, or one connection.

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