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The Recovery Package provides Michigan more than a $271 million for training. You may learn more about Michigan’s training programs at: http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/
Locally programs are coordinated through the Michigan Works offices.
Macomb at http://www.michiganworks.org/page.cfm/80/
Oakland at http://www.michiganworks.org/page.cfm/98/
The State of Michigan relies on a number of federal sources of funding for its worker training programs. Including: the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
The Recovery Act provides Michigan $183 million in Workforce Investment Act funds. Of the $183 million in state formula grants Michigan is expected to receive, $74 million will go to youth, $30.8 million to adults, and $78.4 million to dislocated workers. The chart below shows how this compares to Michigan’s funding for the past two years.
Michigan WIA Funding
(in millions)
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FY2007
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FY2008
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Recovery
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Youth
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46.7
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58
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74
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Adult
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42.3
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54
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30.8
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Dislocated
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91
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131
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78.4
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Total
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180 million
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243 million
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183 million
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Recovery Act dollars will be used to bolster funding for the No Worker Left Behind Program (NWLB), Michigan’s largest worker training program, and the recently-proposed Michigan Energy Corps program. Federal funding is the backbone of NWLB and the additional dollars will significantly expand the number of enrollees.
No Worker Left Behind
NWLB was created in 2007 with the goal of training 100,000 dislocated workers over three years. It offers up to two years of free tuition for Michigan citizens that are either unemployed or received a termination/layoff notice or are employed and have family income under $40,000. Because the program’s intent is to reemploy participants, the focus of the degree or training program must be in a high demand or emerging sector or in a business program. Upon completion of the program, Michigan Works! Agencies and community colleges work with participants to find employment. Included under NWLB is the Nursing Corps, whose focus is to prepare 500 nurse educators, who will then train 3,000 new nurses, over three years to help meet the growing shortage in both professions.
To date, almost 60,000 workers have enrolled in NWLB; however, funding constraints have limited NWLB from meeting demand and the program’s waiting list currently has over 4,000 names. Moreover, demand for training continues to grow: December 2008 saw a 60% increase in workers entering training compared to the year prior. With the help of Recovery Act WIA and TAA dollars, DELEG estimates NWLB will be able to exceed the 100,000 goal.
Energy Corps
The Michigan Energy Corps, proposed by Governor Granholm in her 2009 State of the State address, capitalizes on her goal of turning Michigan into a renewable energy ‘hub’ by reorienting the state’s existing automotive manufacturing capacity to the manufacturing, construction, and delivery of alternative energy technologies. DELEG has identified four key areas of training and reemployment efforts: weatherization, green construction, renewable energy delivery systems, and conservation of natural resources. Specifically, the Energy Corps plans to train at least 10,000 unemployed trade workers over the next two years to weatherize 100,000 homes and upgrade 1,000 schools and public buildings with energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
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