DELEG logo image

 

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

More than 75 percent to goal – 77,803 people have enrolled in NWLB

U.S. Department of Labor Makes $49.9M Available to Michigan for Trade Adjustment Assistance

NWLB Helps Harsco Rail Compete Internationally

Autoworker Finds More Fulfilling Career with Help from NWLB

NWLB in the News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Worker
Left Behind

 

The training needed to succeed in the global economy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact NWLB
Ph: 517 335-1319
Email: nwlb@michigan.gov

 

 


No Worker Left Behind News

July 8, 2009

More than 75 percent to goal – 77,803 people have enrolled in No Worker Left Behind

Every month at the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, the No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) Action Team puts together a data set that tracks participation. This month’s data held some good news:
  • As of May 31, we’ve put 77,803 people into training since the start of the program in August 2007.

  • With two months of data still to collect in NWLB’s second year (June and July), we have already placed 40,078 workers into training in 10 months – surpassing the total for year one of 37,725. The pace of workers entering training is accelerating.

  • We are 77.8 percent of the way to the governor’s goal of “doubling training to more than 100,000 people in three years” in 61 percent of the time (22 months).

NWLB: Ahead of Schedule 

  • The pace of entrance is accelerating even more dramatically for workers funded by No Worker Left Behind’s core worker retraining programs. This pace of enrollment has increased 72 percent in year two.
Pace of NWLB Training

*These numbers reflect workers entering training funded by WIA, TAA, JET and FAET

Other interesting data:

  • More evidence of high interest in NWLB: there have been 2.2 million website page views since August 2008 – up one million views from year one.

  • Education programs are responding aggressively to increased demand for training through NWLB: colleges and other training providers have added or updated 11,002 education programs since August 2007, a tremendous increase from the number of programs available prior to No Worker Left Behind.

U.S. Department of Labor Makes $49.9M Available to Michigan for Trade Adjustment Assistance

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis recently announced that Michigan will receive $49.9 million for job training and essential services under the newly revamped Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act.

Michigan will utilize this money to provide No Worker Left Behind tuition assistance to workers whose jobs are impacted because of trade-related reasons.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes major expansion and reform of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program to ensure that all U.S. workers negatively affected by trade have the skills, resources and support to gain re-employment.

While the ARRA does not fund TAA, it does increase the maximum amount of TAA funds which may be used for training nationwide from $220 million to $575 million. The additional funds released to Michigan are part of a supplemental distribution of funds based on that increase.

Department of LaborFor more information on TAA and other Department of Labor employment and training programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

No Worker Left Behind Helps Harsco Rail Compete Internationally

Harsco Rail Able to Become One of Four Companies Certified to Compete in European Market

In order for Michigan to compete in the 21st century economy, we need companies that make products here and sell them internationally. Harsco Rail is a prime example of a company that does just that.

Harsco RailHarsco Rail has been a staple in Ludington, MI for more than 85 years, employing more than 200 people. In simplified terms, Harsco manufactures the machines that maintain rail systems. 

In fall 2008, Harsco won a new order from a German company -- voestalpine BWG GmbH & Co. KG -- valued at more than $7 million to manufacture its switch and crossing rail grinding equipment.

But that new order also brought new and much tougher standards.  Harsco now had to meet the EN 15085 standard, a very stringent welding standard that represented a major leap in requirements for its employees.
 
To be able to fulfill this important contract and meet these difficult standards, Harsco knew it needed help. Harsco reached out to West Shore Community College and sought help from No Worker Left Behind to train its welders.

“Training these people would be very difficult without No Worker Left Behind,” said Roger Nash, general manager of Harsco Rail. “It would cost the company four or five times more without help.”

As a result of working with No Worker Left Behind, Harsco was able to train 26 people certified to meet the EN 15085 standard.

By meeting that standard, Harsco Rail became only one out of four companies in the United States certified to compete in the European market. Harsco Rail now has the highest level of certification for welding and design.

“By being able to compete internationally, we have been able to keep people employed,”
concluded Nash.

Autoworker Finds More Fulfilling Career with Help from No Worker Left Behind

Ed Wozniak“I could see the writing on the wall,” Ed Wozniak recalls.

For more than 15 years, Ed Wozniak was an automotive engineer, working as a tool engineer at Chrysler for nine years and an engineer supervisor at Visteon for six years.  Despite a long career and an engineering degree from Wayne State University, after seeing a number of colleagues lose their jobs, Wozniak knew it was time for a career change.

“I sat down with my wife and together we asked, what is a good, secure job that is fulfilling and will still pay the bills? Nursing was the answer for me,” said Wozniak.

Even before the auto layoffs hit home, Wozniak began taking nursing courses at Oakland University.  And when Visteon bought out his contract, Wozniak was reassured that he had a backup plan in place. However, without help from No Worker Left Behind, his transition might not have been possible.

“It would have been really, really tough without No Worker Left Behind,” Wozniak explains. Without No Worker Left Behind, Wozniak would have had to spend all his buy-out money on tuition – money he desperately needed to support his family and pay the bills.

The No Worker Left Behind program was able to assist him with $5,000 which paid for his entire tuition for his 3rd semester in the accelerated nursing program.  Wozniak described his experience with No Worker Left Behind and Oakland County Michigan Works! as a “great process” that helped pay for approximately a third of all his tuition. He graduated in December 2008 from Oakland University with his second Bachelor of Science degree, this time in nursing.  

Less than three weeks after graduation, Wozniak successfully gained full-time employment through Beaumont  Hospital, Royal Oak as a clinical nurse. Wozniak continues to work as a registered nurse and is thrilled with his new career.

“At first, being an automotive engineer, it was a big leap to go back to school to become a nurse and I second guessed myself,” said Wozniak. “Now, I have been working seven months and it’s one of the best choices I have ever made. Being a nurse is very gratifying.”

NWLB in the News
 

Best Regards,

Andy Levin, Deputy Director
Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth

Note: If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter please click here, insert the required information, and check the “Delete me from the list:” box.