LANSING – The Michigan House on Thursday passed a plan championed by State Representative Robert Dean (D-Grand Rapids) to retrain thousands of Michigan's displaced workers so they can land good-paying jobs available now in high-demand fields. The centerpiece of the plan is a $40 million investment in the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program, which will significantly increase the state's capacity to match Michigan residents with available jobs.
"Michigan has the most talented, hardest working residents in the world," Dean said. "But due to outsourcing and corporate downsizing, far too many of our working men and women have been laid off through no fault of their own. This plan will give them the training they need to get their feet back on the ground and secure the good-paying jobs that are immediately available."
Through NWLB, eligible Michigan workers can attend a community college or university for two years tuition-free to upgrade their skills so they can get good-paying jobs available in high-demand fields.
The $40 million in state money would be combined with about $37 million in federal funds that the Governor used to launch the program last year, plus about $6.4 million in new federal money. The state funds – which come from the refinancing of state bond debt, not new taxpayer dollars – will allow NWLB to train more workers and shorten the waiting lists that have formed statewide. Last year about 18,000 residents were enrolled in the program.
Dean noted that the NWLB program can be used to train workers in high-demand fields, such as renewable energy, that are taking root in the Grand Rapids area. The United Solar Ovonic plant in Greenville, which produces solar film used to harness the sun's energy, is recruiting employees for a new nearby plant that will open next year. According to a March 6 article in the Grand Rapids Press, the plant currently employs about 50 former workers from the Greenville Electrolux refrigerator plant, which closed in 2006.
"Creating and retaining good-paying jobs for Grand Rapids workers is my No. 1 priority," Dean said. "This plan will get our residents back on the job, and it will also provide our businesses with the highly trained workforce they need to keep our local economy strong. We live in a rapidly changing world, and this plan will ensure that our residents have the necessary training to succeed in the 21st century economy."