News Photo by Reagan Voetberg First-year Alpena Community College concrete technology students, from back, Zak Melkus, Vaughn Hunt, and Kaleb Donajkowski calculate the volume of a bucket recently at the college.

ALPENA — Despite a number of challenges such as a lack of available housing, Alpena has the foundation it needs to bring more skilled talent to the area, officials say.

It all starts with the variety of training programs offered at Alpena Community College. Listed on the college’s website are more than 75 programs of study, including unique offerings tailor-made for local industry, such as the utility arborist, electrical systems technology, and concrete technology programs.

Through dual enrollment, high school students can get their start at ACC. In the President’s Report from Jan. 15, ACC President Don MacMaster said dual-enrolled and Early College students accounted for 57.3% of students enrolled in the spring 2025 semester. In addition, the number of spring 2025 enrollees increased 0.5% from spring 2024, according to the President’s Report. The graduation rate at ACC is 50%, compared to the 27% at similar Michigan community colleges, the report said.

Over one-third of contact hours come through online, hybrid, and remote courses, according to the President’s report.

Paige Gordier, vice president of instruction at ACC, praised the college’s faculty and staff for their technological expertise.

“The instructors who have mastered these skills are dynamic and enthusiastic about teaching,” Gordier said in the college’s spring update. “The experiences of the distance students are just as good as that of those who are in the face-to-face class with the instructor.”

In particular, the college’s concrete technology program has been a huge success, officials say.

In the World Center for Concrete Technology building on ACC’s campus, students can peruse a bulletin board filled with job applications for those in the program.

“There’s a lot more of these sheets than they have graduates in the program,” MacMaster said.

The concrete technology program operates through a partnership with Besser Co.

Students come from all over Michigan and some from around the Midwest to earn a two-year associate’s degree in concrete technology, MacMaster said.

“They will emerge highly employable in working with concrete,” he said.

The World Center for Concrete Technology also trains people who are already employed in the concrete business to advance their skills to earn promotions or become more valuable in their current position, MacMaster said.

While ACC has had a lot of success in training people for employment, barriers to employment still exist.

One factor that could push potential employees away from Northeast Michigan is work culture, said Jackie Krawczak, owner of Jackie Krawczak LLC, which hosts leadership workshops.

“It’s not just about pay, it’s not just about vacation time, but does their work align with their whole life?” Krawczak said. “Do they have flexibility? Are they adding value? Do they feel cared about?”

According to Krawczak, Northeast Michigan can no longer use the excuse that there is a cheaper cost of living here to draw talent. The cost of living here now is similar to other parts of the state and country. Companies have to be competitive when it comes to wages and benefits.

Krawczak also believes that companies can capitalize on the lifestyle in Northeast Michigan.

“In my opinion, we have a phenomenal lifestyle up here — low crime, outdoor activities, friendly people, and a very giving community,” she said.

In Krawczak’s observation, there are plenty of job opportunities available. Sometimes, people struggle to find a job because they are not willing to do something that the job requires or they don’t meet the minimum expectations of the job.

“It’s either there’s a big mismatch in skillset or there’s something that’s keeping them from getting that job,” she said.

Overall, Krawczak sees a lot of potential for economic growth in Alpena.

People can move to the area and work for a company located elsewhere through remote work, where those people may have just come up for the summer in the past.

There is also potential for growth in Alpena’s brick-and-mortar businesses, Krawczak said.

Pamela Richardson, president and CEO of Star Staffing Alpena, said in an email to The News one obstacle facing Northeast Michigan in getting people to relocate is their inability to find affordable housing.

Richardson said that, because of the number of people retiring, local companies have a lot of openings that need to be filled.

Many companies are offering more benefits than they had in previous years to incentivize potential hires. Most businesses care about the well-being of their employees, she said.

Richardson noted that, in certain fields, there are plenty of opportunities for economic growth. Manufacturing hiring has slowed down, for instance, while most medical-related fields are begging for people.

Mike Mahler, economic development director at the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce, said Alpena lacks people working in the trades.

“We need plumbers, carpenters, pipefitters, electricians, people who don’t follow the traditional four-year college path,” he said.

“We don’t want contractors coming from Saginaw to build a $47 million facility here,” he added, referring to a senior living community planned for Alpena. “We’d much rather have local companies with local talent.”

A housing development like that could cause a domino effect. As older people move out of their homes and into the facility, it would open up housing options for young people and families to move in, bringing talent to the area, said Mahler.

Mahler sees progress towards positive economic development, although there is a need for better child care facilities and continued entertainment options to incentivize people to move here.

“Momentum does create more momentum, and we’ve got good momentum right now,” Mahler said.