Career Consortium of Barry County Formally Established to Strengthen Local Talent Pipelines and Adva

Community leaders from education, manufacturing, healthcare, and economic development officially signed the founding documents for the Career Consortium of Barry County on March 25, marking a major step forward in building coordinated, high-demand career pathways for students and jobseekers across the county.

The Consortium represents a formal partnership between local education providers and employer partners, united around a shared goal: to create new and strengthen existing talent pipelines that align education with real-world workforce needs. This milestone also advances the vision for the development of a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center to be located at Kellogg Community College’s Fehsenfeld Center in Hastings, Michigan.

“This Career Consortium is the natural evolution of groups known as The Vocational Committee, Barry County Workforce Connections, and the Barry Career Access Network. It is about partnerships made in the Barry County Way; all of us working together to provide great career opportunities for the young people of Barry County.” said Rich Franklin, Superintendent, Barry Intermediate School District.

The Career Consortium of Barry County brings together a diverse group of founding partners representing secondary and postsecondary education, manufacturing, healthcare, long-term care, economic development, and philanthropy. Organizations signing on to establish the Consortium include; Kellogg Community College (KCC), Barry Intermediate School District (BISD), Hastings Area Schools, Delton Kellogg Schools, Barry County Chamber & Economic Development Alliance (EDA), Corewell Health, Flexfab, Thornapple Manor, ChemQuest, Inc., Barry Community Foundation, Michigan Manufacturers Association, and Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center – West (MMTC-West).

Together, these partners will collaborate to identify workforce priorities, develop curriculum and programming aligned with regional employer needs, and expand access to high-quality career exploration and training opportunities.

The formation of the Consortium represents a major milestone toward the long-term goal of establishing a regional CTE Center at KCC’s Fehsenfeld Center. The proposed center would serve students from across Barry County, offering hands-on training, industry-recognized credentials, and clear pathways into in-demand careers within the region.

In addition to the founding partners, other schools and businesses across Barry County have already indicated interest in participating in the Career Consortium. Consortium leaders anticipate that additional partners will formally sign on over the next several weeks and months.

“This effort is about building opportunity locally,” said Emily Quiggle, Workforce Development Coordinator, BCCEDA. “By investing in career and technical education here in Barry County, we’re helping students see their future here and helping employers grow the talent they need.”

Following the signing, the Career Consortium of Barry County will begin formal governance, strategic planning, and workforce alignment activities. Early focus areas will include industry engagement, program development, and the continued advancement of the CTE center vision.

Community members, employers, and organizations interested in supporting or engaging with the Consortium are encouraged to contact Emily Quiggle at the Barry County Chamber and Economic Development Alliance.