Michigan Going PRO Talent Fund
What the Going PRO guide says about leadership training.
The rule, quoted from the state's FY26 employer guide, and where Michigan employers apply. This page explains the rule; it does not decide eligibility.
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The rule
Leadership or management training, as the FY26 guide puts it.
Leadership or Management Training should not be an introductory/overview course, or a stand-alone/self-contained seminar/workshop/webinar.
a. Leadership training is eligible if it is a specific component within a training plan that includes technical hard skills training.
Training must lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by industry.
Online training is eligible if it is live and instructor led. Recorded learning at trainee’s own pace is not eligible.
Listed under ineligible training expenditures: Online training subscriptions.
The guide’s examples of ineligible training topics and activities also include: Seminars, Conferences, Webinars (stand-alone), Workshops, etc.; Subscriptions for eLearning; Online Resource Libraries.
Note 20 of the guide’s ineligible training definitions (page 7): Stand-alone seminars such as a lecture with no associated classroom component, conferences, webinars, workshops, etc. will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consideration of the course syllabus, material, and outcomes.
New Employee and Current Employee Classroom training cannot exceed $2,000 per person
Source: FY26 Going PRO Talent Fund Employer Guide (Michigan LEO-WD). The guide is revised each fiscal year; read the current version before planning.
Where to apply
Through your local Michigan Works! Agency.
The guide says awards go to employers through the Michigan Works! Agencies, which run a fact-finding session with the employer and submit the application to LEO-WD. In the guide’s words: “Payments are made on a reimbursement basis after all required documentation is submitted to the MWA.”
Thrive can be a provider on an employer’s Going PRO plan, with leadership training as one component next to the plan’s technical hard skills training. Thrive makes no state certification or approval claim; whether a plan qualifies is decided through your Michigan Works! Agency and LEO-WD.
Questions
Questions about Going PRO and leadership training.
Does Going PRO fund leadership training?
Only within limits. The FY26 employer guide says: "Leadership or Management Training should not be an introductory/overview course, or a stand-alone/self-contained seminar/workshop/webinar." and "Leadership training is eligible if it is a specific component within a training plan that includes technical hard skills training." It also says: "Training must lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by industry."
Is live online training eligible?
The FY26 guide says: "Online training is eligible if it is live and instructor led. Recorded learning at trainee’s own pace is not eligible." It also lists "Online training subscriptions" as an ineligible training expenditure.
How do employers apply for Going PRO?
Through their local Michigan Works! Agency, which runs fact-finding with the employer and submits the application to LEO-WD. The guide says: "Payments are made on a reimbursement basis after all required documentation is submitted to the MWA."
Can Thrive be part of a Going PRO plan?
Thrive can be a provider on an employer's Going PRO plan. Under the FY26 rule, leadership training counts only as a component of a plan that also includes technical hard skills training. Thrive is not claiming any state certification or approval; whether a plan qualifies is decided through your Michigan Works! Agency and LEO-WD.
Can a talent development function be part of a Going PRO plan?
Ask your local Michigan Works! business services representative before you plan. They run the fact-finding and the application, and the current state guide is linked on this page.