In my last letter, I gave you a preview of Governor Granholm’s kick off event of our No Worker Left Behind 1st anniversary tour in Traverse City. You read about Joe Houle, the factory worker who lost his job and who, with the help of NWLB, realized his lifelong dream of a career in law enforcement.

On board the Northwestern Michigan College training ship State of Michigan, anchored in an azure Grand Traverse Bay, the governor announced that more than 31,000 Michigan workers began NWLB-funded training for new careers in the program’s first 11 months. The governor applauded the state’s community college presidents, Michigan Works! Agencies and business, education, and labor leaders who have worked in partnership to make No Worker Left Behind a success.

Governor Granholm on the promise of the Green Jobs Initiative:

“Michigan’s strong manufacturing history and geography make us a natural fit for the thousands of alternative energy jobs being created each year. The Green Jobs Initiative in No Worker Left Behind will help make sure that those jobs are created right here in Michigan.”

In Lansing, director of DLEG’s Bureau of Workforce Transformation Liza Estlund Olson recognized Demmer Corporation, Lansing Community College (LCC), and Capital Area Michigan Works! for their model NWLB partnership -- a collaborative effort between business and college to design an innovative training program that resulted in Demmer hiring more than 530 NWLB-trained workers for jobs in Demmer Corp’s Lansing facilities.

Demmer HR Director Julie Mann:

“We needed to increase our workforce by almost 80 percent in a calendar year. We never would have been able to meet our customer demand without a program to train workers in a very short period of time. No Worker Left Behind gave us the opportunity to work with LCC in developing and implementing a tailored training program.”

NWLB Success Story: Joshua Smalley

Joshua Smalley is one of the NWLB-trained workers now employed at Demmer Corporation. Prior to his NWLB training, Joshua had worked as a truck driver. He was also an experienced welder, having spent 15 years welding in his family’s auto repair shop. He tried to land a job at Demmer, but failed the required skills assessment tests. “I was used to welding on thinner metal,” said Joshua. “I found out it’s a lot harder to weld the thicker materials that Demmer uses.”

A few weeks later, Capital Area Michigan Works! contacted Joshua to tell him about NWLB and the opportunity to train for one of the Demmer positions. He jumped at the chance. LCC instructors came to the Demmer plant, and in three weeks, Joshua had completed training in the specific welding techniques required to work on the Demmer products.

“With the help of No Worker Left Behind, I’m able to provide for my family, which was my biggest goal,” said Joshua. “I love working, and this is a good place to work.”

DLEG Director Keith W. Cooley:

“Health care jobs are not only high wage jobs, they’re high satisfaction jobs. The No Worker Left Behind Initiative is focused on jobs now and jobs tomorrow, and Schoolcraft is a model of the kind of training that will build Michigan’s workforce and help re-build Michigan’s economy.”

NWLB Success Story: Harvey Diem

In 2000, Harvey Diem was working as an uncertified pharmacy technician at a hospital in Colorado when he was laid off. He moved to Michigan and found other employment, but wanted to return to work in a health care position. Diem contacted his local Michigan Works! Agency, and with No Worker Left Behind training funds, he enrolled in the Schoolcraft College pharmacy technician program.

“The MWA staff and I worked together as a team,” said Diem. “They helped me assert myself and pushed me to do well, and I did.”

Diem graduated in the top two of his class with a certificate as a pharmacy technician. He now works for CVS Pharmacy, and he is pursuing national certification as a pharmacy technician. In the future, Diem plans to pursue a degree in pharmacological toxicology and work for a pharmaceutical company.

“Without the support of programs like No Worker Left Behind, many of our current employees would not be with us today,” said Darla Smith, Regional Learning Center Manager for CVS Pharmacy. “It’s imperative that Michigan continue to provide training for people in high-demand fields in health care and biomedical technology, where the demand for talent is greater than the supply of trained workers.”

Northern Star Industries, Inc., located in Iron Mountain, manufactures the BOSS Snowplow, state-of-the-art control panels and substation control centers for electrical utilities, and specialty controls for the U.S. Navy. In 2007, Northern Star was looking to expand and hire additional employees, but discovered there was a shortage of welders and skilled trades workers in the region. Northern Star turned to the Job Force Board for help. This Michigan Works! Agency pulled together employers, their own workforce experts, and faculty from Bay College and Dickinson Iron Intermediate School District to design and implement a customized program to train workers in welding and other high-demand skills. To date, more than 100 workers have gone through the NWLB-funded training and found jobs in local industries.

Dave Brule, Jr., executive vice president and CFO of Northern Star Industries:

“With No Worker Left Behind, we were able to train workers for the exact skills we needed to help us expand, and put people to work in good jobs right here in their own communities. We’re looking to add additional workers in the coming year, and we know we have the partners and training options to meet our needs for the skilled workers our industry requires.”

Governor Granholm:

“This innovative collaboration between Northern Star Industries and Bay College, working with Michigan Works! and No Worker Left Behind to train workers for jobs available today is exactly the kind of partnership we want to replicate all over Michigan. With the boost of No Worker Left Behind training dollars, we can move Michigan workers in to high-skill, high-wage jobs and grow Michigan’s economy.”

NWLB Success Story: Tom Swarthout

Tom Swarthout was working at a local retail store in Iron Mountain and looking for a new career when he heard about the No Worker Left Behind Initiative. He had taken a semester of welding at Bay College and decided to consult the Michigan Works! The Job Force Board to explore options for additional education. With the help of Michigan Works!, Swarthout was accepted into the welding certification course at Bay College. Upon graduation, he got a job as a fabricator welder at BOSS Products division of Northern Star Industries.

We wrapped up our 1st anniversary events at Macomb Community College, celebrating the singular effort of Macomb/St. Clair Michigan Works! Agency, which topped all Michigan Works! Agencies in the state for placing No Worker Left Behind-funded workers into training for new jobs. In the first 11 months of the No Worker Left Behind, The Macomb/St. Clair MWA enrolled 2,271 people in training and educational programs to prepare them for jobs in Michigan’s emerging economy.

Although she was unable to attend, Governor Granholm praised Macomb Community College, where 423 No Worker Left Behind students have trained or are training for new careers.

Governor Granholm:

“Macomb County is a leader in our effort to train 100,000 Michigan workers for good jobs, today and tomorrow. With the hard work of our Michigan Works! Agencies and their innovative partners like Macomb Community College and local employers, No Worker Left Behind will put thousands of workers in to new high-wage jobs in the years ahead.”

Macomb County employer Burtek Incorporated works regularly with the Macomb/St. Clair MWA to test and hire employees.

Two years ago, April Pritchett lost her job in the mortgage industry. She had earned an associate of arts degree years before, but knew she needed additional training to find another job. April contacted the Macomb / St. Clair Michigan Works! Agency, enrolled in business classes at Macomb Community College, and found a new, high-wage job with a mortgage company.

Christine Tierney and Robert Snell, The Detroit News
September 13, 2008

Chrysler LLC will offer buyouts to more than 13,000 hourly workers in Michigan, in the latest wave of job-reductions sweeping the hard-hit auto industry.

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Unique separation program offered to Chrysler workers

Reliable Plant
Author: RP news wires

Chrysler LLC, in partnership with the State of Michigan and the United Auto Workers, announced September 12 a first-of-its-kind special programs opportunity for eligible UAW-represented Chrysler employees in the state of Michigan.

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Retraining program pays off at Demmer
State program aids local manufacturer

Kathryn Prater, Lansing State Journal
August 9, 2008

Julie Mann says Demmer Corp. could have found enough people when it went on a hiring binge. But they might not have been ready to go to work. The problem: they didn't have the right skills.

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State job-training program adds green initiative

Rick Haglund, Kalamazoo Gazette, Detroit Bureau
August 7, 2008

Gov. Jennifer Granholm's No Worker left Behind program is expanding training offerings, evern though the year-old initiative has struggled to pay tuition costs for tens of thousands of displaced workers seeking educational assistance.

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'Green' jobs expand Michigan worker retraining

Tim Martin, Associated Press

Lansing, Mich. - When Joseph Houle lost his job at a Petoskey factory in late 2006, he decided to retrain to be a police officer. This month, he started working as a marine deputy with the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Department.

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