December 21, 2006 - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the award of federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Dislocated Worker Program State Adjustment Grant funding totaling $550,000 to the Central Area Michigan Works! Consortium. The Consortium serves the counties of Gratiot, Montcalm, Isabella and Ionia.

The funds will be used to support continuing, comprehensive, and timely re-employment services tailored to workers' individual needs.  Services will include ongoing, long-term job preparation for displaced workers who have been laid off, or who have received notice of layoff and are unlikely to return to their previous industry of occupation.

"These funds will help the Central Area Michigan Works! Consortium continue to provide successful job training assistance to area workers so they can fill the good paying jobs in areas like health care and skilled trades that are available right now in Michigan," Granholm said.

Central Area Michigan Works! Consortium Director John Van Nieuwenhuyzen supported the award. "Layoff and closure events have had a disproportionate impact on our service providers' ability to assist dislocated workers with their employment and training needs.  Rather than stay the course and allow this region to be overwhelmed by the crest of a national wave of trade related dislocations, we will deploy funds which have been set aside to deal with just such situations.  I can think of no better way to use these funds than to empower our Michigan Works! staff to further the education of those seeking to better themselves."

The federal Workforce Investment Act, administered through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG), makes the grant funds available from the Governor's Discretionary Reserve, a set-aside percentage of the state's total award to be used as needed in high-impact areas requiring additional funding to meet local needs.

Read more Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth press releases.