Making Excellence More Accessible

Shaping the Future of Work Through Partnership and Presence

Through partnership and presence, UMSI is helping design a future of work that values creativity, connection, and opportunity for all.

Last month, at Newlab in Detroit, UMSI hosted A2 to Industry: Designing the Future of Work, a workshop that brought educators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders together to explore how lifelong learning can expand access, opportunity, and innovation across Michigan’s workforce. The event, presented in partnership with the University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) and Michigan Central, reflected a shared commitment to advancing education and economic growth in Detroit.

Led by Cliff Lampe, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Mark Newman, Professor and Chair of UMSI’s Alternative Learning Initiatives Committee, the session served as both a learning opportunity and a call to collaboration. Participants examined how advances in technology—especially artificial intelligence—are reshaping the skills needed to thrive in today’s evolving workplace.

“Change is inevitable,” said Lampe. “Our role as educators is to make sure that transformation results in greater opportunity, not greater inequity.”

Through guided discussions, attendees identified emerging skills, workforce needs, and opportunities for collaboration between higher education and industry. Central to the conversation was how education can focus on what technology cannot replicate: creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Newman shared how the Alternative Learning Initiatives Committee is helping lead that charge. The newly created faculty-led group is charged with evaluating and expanding UMSI’s non-credit learning opportunities, from microcredentials and MOOCs to short-form workshops and professional programs. “Our goal is to ensure that high-quality learning is available to people at every stage of life,” Newman explained. “That means understanding what employers need, what learners want, and how UMSI can bridge that gap.”

This workshop is part of UMSI’s broader effort to strengthen connections between education and industry through public engagement, applied research, and accessible learning opportunities. As these conversations continue, faculty are encouraged to share ideas, highlight ongoing projects, and explore new ways their teaching and research can help shape the future of Michigan’s workforce.

By engaging directly with industry and community partners, UMSI continues to demonstrate how collaboration and presence make excellence more accessible and ensure that innovation begins here.