Governor Snyder’s Marshall Plan for Talent has brought together Michigan Works! organizations around the state with their local training/education providers, educators, employers, and community organizations to form an alliance of workforce and education. The goal is to identify high-demand hiring needs and to help students understand the multiple pathways to get to these careers.

Two regional partnerships Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! helped convene have been granted over $7.4 million to address the talent gap by connecting employers and K-20 students to high demand, skilled technical jobs. Saginaw Intermediate School District (in partnership with Muskegon Intermediate School District) and Gratiot-Isabella RESD were both on the receiving end of the grant process, as announced this week! Both organizations turned to Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! for vital labor market information and training connections when submitting their successful grants.

Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! is also working with the intermediate school districts in Bay and Midland counties to help put together talent consortiums to address our regional hiring needs.

Chris Rishko, CEO of Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! notes, “The role of our organization puts us in a unique position to facilitate collaboration between partners in education, industry and training. These types of partnerships inspired by the Marshall Plan for Talent drive the innovative solutions that are so very crucial to ensuring our region’s labor force is ready to meet the needs of employers now and into the future.”

Jenny Geno, director of Career & Technical Education at Saginaw ISD agrees. “Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! has been a strong partner, providing needed labor market data and anecdotal information from employers that has helped us develop a robust plan,” she notes. “The Marshall Plan for Talent process has been a powerful collaboration between education, business, labor unions, post-secondary entities, Michigan Works! and nonprofit organizations throughout Saginaw and Muskegon counties.”

The governor has earmarked $59 million for the Marshall Plan.  Another grant phase begins in January.

Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! will keep the business community updated on Marshall Plan developments as they unfold throughout 2019.