IN THIS ISSUE:
Michigan Releases First-Ever Green Jobs Report
Request for Proposals: Michigan Academy for Green Mobility
New Wind Turbine Plant in Manistee Employs NWLB Workers
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No Worker Left Behind News
May 19, 2009
Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow Conference an Enormous Success
National leaders address 1,400 stakeholders at the Lansing Center
On Monday, May 11, 1,400 stakeholders from business, education and training, labor, environmental, community and faith-based organizations, who are currently working on various facets of creating a green economy, gathered for the Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow Conference at the Lansing Center.
Organized as part of the No Worker Left Behind Green Jobs Initiative, the conference helped develop essential partnerships and multiple strategies to make Michigan a national leader in the green economy.
“Times are changing and we’re using our rust belt roots to grow green jobs for the future,” said Stanley “Skip” Pruss, director of the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
The conference was attended by two prominent members of the Obama Administration: U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Van Jones, the White House Special Advisor on Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
“People will look back decades from now and talk about the ‘Miracle in Michigan’ because of the people right here at this conference,” said Jones. Diversification into the green economy and training Michigan’s already skilled workers for green jobs is a recipe for economic success, he averred.
“These are green-collar jobs, jobs that will stay here and not be outsourced,” said Solis.
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm and U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow also addressed the crowd.
“By investing in our workforce, manufacturing infrastructure, and natural resources, we can make Michigan the state that helps end our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and create good paying jobs in the process,” Granholm said. “Michigan is uniquely positioned to diversify its economy and create jobs by growing the renewable energy sector.”
Granholm also highlighted No Worker Left Behind’s Green Jobs Initiative (GJI) as a program that will help accelerate workers’ transition into new jobs. The Green Jobs Initiative is a $6 million investment of federal dollars designed to increase the number of green industries and businesses in Michigan. The Green Jobs Initiative will:
- create green sector skills alliances that bring together business, labor, government and educational leaders who share interest and expertise in a specific green sector of Michigan’s economy to develop training programs for jobs in that sector;
- invest in Michigan’s community colleges, universities, and training facilities to build their capacity to develop and provide training for green jobs;
- expand No Worker Left Behind to provide tuition support for eligible individuals pursuing approved green jobs training programs at Michigan colleges and universities.
To learn more about Michigan’s efforts to create green jobs, visit: www.michigan.gov/greenjobs.
Michigan Releases First-Ever Green Jobs Report
At the Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow conference, the State of Michigan released the “Michigan Green Jobs Report.” The May 2009 Michigan Green Jobs Report is the first effort of its kind for Michigan and makes Michigan the second state (after Washington) to release a scientific survey of green jobs. This report covers private sector jobs in Michigan’s green economy, which are defined as being comprised of five areas:
- Agriculture and natural resource conservation
- Clean transportation and fuels
- Increased energy efficiency
- Pollution prevention and environmental cleanup
- Renewable energy production.
Report highlights include:
Michigan boasts 109,067 private sector green jobs: 96,767 direct green jobs (people directly involved in generating a firm’s green-related products or services) and 12,300 green support jobs (anyone from a janitor to an accountant whose job directly serves green work).
- Clean transportation and fuels are the largest green economy areas in Michigan, comprising just over 40 percent of green jobs and reflecting Michigan’s automotive heritage. If Michigan succeeds in developing alternative fuel, hybrid and electric vehicles, this sector may grow significantly.
- There is huge potential for growth throughout the green economy. Today, green jobs represent just three percent of Michigan’s overall private sector employment of 3.2 million.
- Indeed, from 2005 to 2008, a sample of 358 green-related firms added more than 2,500 jobs to Michigan’s economy, an employment expansion rate of 7.7 percent -- at a time when overall Michigan private sector employment shrank 5.4 percent.
- Among the renewable energy production firms in that sample, the growth rate hit 30 percent. Renewable energy production, which today is the smallest green sector, may be the fastest growing.
- The green economy appears to be a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity. Among the report’s sample of 358 green-related firms, more than 70 appeared to be newly created since 2005, accounting for nearly 600 jobs already.
- Green jobs tend to pay well. Thirteen of the top 15 sectors of green employment have weekly wages above the overall private sector weekly average, several of them far above.
- Green jobs encompass a wide range of occupations. Engineering and construction jobs are prominent, but many other jobs of all skill levels are required by the green economy.
- Education and training are key for green employers. In multiple focus groups, employers emphasized the need for basics in math and reading, with additional skills to be acquired on the job or in school depending on the green job specifications and requirements.
Local, state, and federal public policy may drive further growth in green jobs. Laws such as Michigan’s new renewable energy standard, the requirement that regulates utilities’ spending a portion of revenue on energy efficiency measures for their customers, and incentives for advanced battery production, in combination with local and federal initiatives, may accelerate the growth of green jobs in Michigan.
To view the entire Green Jobs Report, please visit:
www.milmi.org/admin/uploadedPublications/1604_GreenReport_E.pdf
Request for Proposals: Michigan Academy for Green Mobility
In order to take advantage of opportunities for growth in the clean transportation and fuels sector of the green economy, DELEG collaborated with automotive manufacturing employers to establish the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility. The Academy is a perfect example of what the Green Sector Skills Alliances at the heart of the governor’s Green Jobs Initiative can produce.
The purpose of the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility is to ensure the automotive industry has the trained workers it needs to design, engineer, and build future generations of hybrid and electric vehicles. The skill development and training provided through the Academy is in direct response to specific knowledge and skill demands of employers in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Education and training providers for the Academy for Green Mobility are selected through a competitively based request for proposal (RFP). Applicants submit proposals to develop and implement innovative and nontraditional modes of education and training.
An RFP issued for accelerated education and training in hybrid electric vehicle battery engineering is available at www.michigan.gov/greenjobs. Proposals are due Monday, May 25, 2009, by 5:00 p.m.
The current RFP is calls for the training of 200 engineers – transitioning from traditional vehicle design and manufacturing to hybrid electric vehicle battery applications. Funding for training is available to qualified students through the No Worker Left Behind Green Jobs Initiative.
DELEG worked in a partnership with employers and educational institutions to develop a training system that would specifically meet the need for 1,000 additional engineers. The result was the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility.
Partners include:
- General Motors
- Ford Motor Company
- Chrysler
- Detroit Diesel
- Eaton Corporation
- Delphi
- Lear Corporation
- Ricardo, Inc.
- Compact Power
- Next Energy
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- Lawrence Tech
- Wayne State University
- Kettering University
- University of Detroit Mercy
- U of M Dearborn
- U of M Ann Arbor
- Macomb Community College
- Henry Ford Community College
- Engineering Society of Detroit
- MICHAuto
Wind Power Breathing Prosperity for MasTech Manufacturing With Help From NWLB
Six years ago this July, MasTech, Inc. a prominent sales rep firm, decided to expand into manufacturing. As a specialty parts manufacturer out of Manistee, MI for auto companies, MasTech Manufacturing grew rapidly to about 40 employees at its peak.
That was before the bottom dropped out of the auto industry. As sales dropped 80 percent, MasTech Manufacturing shrunk to about five people.
But the winds of change are blowing. MasTech Manufacturing changed its business plan to adapt to the new green economy and in April 2009, MasTech Manufacturing in partnership with Mariah Power opened up a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Manistee.
MasTech Manufacturing’s workforce is back up to 40 employees and the company anticipates growing to more than 100 employees by next year. MasTech’s five-year plan estimates the need for more than 400 employees. Wow!
According to John Holcomb, the general manager, NWLB is a contributor to their success.
“NWLB has helped grow the business,” said Holcomb. “We have utilized on-the-job training and it has been very beneficial.”
MasTech Manufacturing’s goal is for 60-70 percent of all hires to come from the NWLB program. The company currently employs six workers who are participating in on-the-job training.
With help from the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, an organization Holcomb describes as “phenomenal,” MasTech Manufacturing has been able to deal with a high volume of applications and fine tune its hiring process.
Holcomb’s message to unemployed workers: “Anybody who is unemployed needs to utilize this time right now and the benefits that are available through NWLB to enhance their education. People that enhance their education are our first choice. Prospective employers want to see that the person has the work ethic to do what it takes.”
WLNS: Michigan's Green Industry Booming
Lansing State Journal: Granholm urges help for 'green' businesses
WZZM: Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow in Michigan
Detroit News: Q&A: Van Jones discusses how Michigan can revive its economy
Michigan Messenger: State champions green industry with new report, conference
Crain’s Detroit Business: Number of green jobs growing in Michigan, report says
WLAJ: Green Companies Conference
WLAJ: Green Jobs Future for Michigan Employees
Detroit News: Conference highlights Michigan's future in green industry
MItechnews.com: Michigan Green Economic Job Base Growing
Metromode: Michigan grows green jobs sector, according to state report
Detroit Today, WDET: Interview with Andy Levin about the Green Jobs Report (approximately ½ way into the show)
Best Regards,
Andy Levin, Deputy Director
Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
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