Training Center Partners With Northwest Michigan Works! to Offer Tuition-Free Firefighter Training

May 17, 2022

Firefighters will be receiving tuition-free training thanks to a partnership between the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center in Traverse City and Northwest Michigan Works!. The Firefighter 1&2 class will begin this November and will end in May of 2023. The $2,000 per student course tuition and the cost of books are being paid for out of a $1.1 million Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) grant that Northwest Michigan Works! received from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO). The grant is part of a $17.8 million competitive grant awarded to LEO by the U.S. Department of Education to respond to the economic impact of COVID-19 in the state.

More information about the training and registration is available on the Northwest Regional Fire Training Center website at nwrtc-tc.org. Information about tuition funding eligibility and other MiLEAP training opportunities is available by contacting your local Northwest Michigan Works! Center.

MiLEAP provides funds to assist job seekers in transitioning from short- and mid-term education and training programs to high-skill, high-wage career pathways, resulting in industry-recognized credential attainment and reduced educational debt. MiLEAP targets services to individuals who are dislocated, underemployed, serving as essential workers, living in distressed rural and urban communities, and economically disadvantaged. The program also includes MiLEAP Navigators who provide job seekers with direct assistance in assessing and overcoming barriers, identifying resources and providing guidance and support. MiLEAP participants receive individualized competency-based assessments and learning plans that include skills assessments, remote learning opportunities, industry credential attainment, and contextual learning opportunities.