No Worker
Left Behind
The training needed to succeed in the global economy
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Ph: 517 335-1319
Email: nwlb@michigan.gov
No Worker Left Behind News
October 1, 2009
Greetings!
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis called Governor Granholm to share some great news.
She was casting a vote of confidence in No Worker Left Behind and our goal of training many more Michiganders for new careers.
She was sending us badly needed funds, as the Michigan Works! Agencies have been flooded with more residents hoping to train for new, in-demand jobs than they have funds for.
She was giving Michigan the largest discretionary grant ever awarded by a Secretary of Labor – outside of a natural disaster.
She was answering our request for three Regional Economic Impact National Emergency Grants to provide retraining and career services to people in 27 counties across the Lower Peninsula.
And her answer was a resounding YES!
Specifically, she awarded Michigan up to $38,033,600, which will allow us to serve 8,644 more Michiganders slammed by the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression.
All three grants will be administered by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth through No Worker Left Behind.
These Regional Economic Impact grants are part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act includes $200M for national emergencies. In this one announcement, the Secretary awarded Michigan 19 percent of this national pot.
Of the $38,033,600 announced, $19,016,800 will be released initially. We can access the remainder when we have demonstrated that we have spent the first half and need more.
Breakdown of Regional Economic Impact (REI) Grants |
|||
Grant |
$ Amount Awarded |
Counties Covered |
People Served |
Southeast Michigan REI grant |
Awarded up to $18,638,400 ($9,319,200 initially) |
Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne (including the city of Detroit) counties |
4,236 (2,118 initially) |
Flint / Mid-Michigan REI grant |
Awarded up to $8,993,600 ($4,496,800 initially) |
Bay, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee (including the city of Flint), Huron, Ingham, Lapeer, Midland, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee and Tuscola counties |
2,044 (1,022 initially) |
West Michigan REI grant |
Awarded up to $10,401,600 ($5,200,800 initially) |
Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Kent (including the city of Grand Rapids), Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa and Van Buren counties |
2,364 (1,182 initially) |
What does this news mean for folks who live in counties not covered by these regional grants?
These Regional Economic Impact grants are great news for all Michiganders, regardless of where we live. This added money for our three most heavily populated regions will allow us to use other federal funds to train workers who live elsewhere. The result will be more people trained from Copper Harbor to Coldwater.
What is more, we continue to seek and compete aggressively for additional state, federal and philanthropic funds to help meet the demand for job training and help thousands more Michiganders create a prosperous future for their families.
There is no silver bullet to turn Michigan around, but a few things are absolute requirements for a bright economic future. One of them is meeting the demand of our workers to get new skills and degrees, so our already extraordinary workforce is among the best trained and educated in the nation.
Best Regards,
Andy Levin, Deputy Director
Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
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