The Michigander Scholars Program

Promoting careers and recruiting talent in Michigan’s surging industries.

Michigan's talented workforce and education institutions make the state a top choice for employers to grow their business. To further grow the talent pipeline in Michigan, MEDC and the Talent Action Team (TAT) launched The Michigander Scholars program.

The Michigander Scholars is one of many innovative solutions developed by MEDC Talent Solutions to help meet the tech workforce recruitment challenges of Michigan’s major industries. It is the first of its kind in the US, and an unprecedented public-private partnership with some of Michigan’s TAT employers and universities.

The program provides qualifying tech and engineering undergraduate and graduate students with unprecedented access to industry knowledge, career opportunities, and scholarships. Universities are provided with additional lines of sight into the skills that employers are looking for in students. And key employers across the state have early and direct access to a pipeline of talent for internships and new post-grad positions.

Michigander Scholar students met with Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II at the 2023 Detroit Auto Show to discuss how Michigan continues to lead the way in career opportunities in the EV and Mobility industry.

About the Program

Ready to engineer the future of advanced manufacturing? The Michigander Scholars program offers top tech and engineering students in Michigan an exclusive close-up of the EV, mobility, semiconductor, and aerospace/defense sectors, career guidance and job-seeking support, and networking opportunities with industry employers.

In addition, the program offers scholarship dollars for $5,000 to $10,000 to qualifying Scholars who complete an internship and/or accept a full-time position, as a chemical, computer, cybersecurity, electrical, materials, mechanical, process, or systems engineer or software developer (or synonymous job titles), with a participating company and commit to staying in Michigan for 12 months. Read more about program opportunities here.

The process for applying and for being eligible to participate will vary by university, but students must: scholarship dollars to top tech or engineering students at participating universities who sign a letter of employment with an approved company and commit to staying for 12 months in Michigan.

The process for applying will vary by campus (applicants should check with the respective school Program Administrator) but the expectation is that students:

Be interested in a career as a:
- Chemical, computer, cybersecurity, electrical, materials, mechanical, process, or systems engineer.
- Software developer.
Have a declared major, or intend to declare, in a relevant undergraduate or graduate program of study (e.g., engineering, computer science).
Meet any additional university-specific eligibility criteria.

Interested in applying or learning more about the program at your university? Look for your university’s logo below and select ‘Learn more’ to review your school’s specific requirements or to get in touch with the Program Administrator.

Events for The Michigander Scholars

Throughout the program, Scholars are invited to attend various networking events, expos, and career fairs. During these events, students can meet with participating employers to learn about different STEM opportunities within advanced manufacturing.