July 20, 2005

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that 13 Michigan universities and community colleges will receive over $17 million in grants to accelerate training for nurses and other health care professionals.  The grants, which are part of the Governor’s MI Opportunity Partnership, are expected to train over 1,200 health professionals, including RNs, LPNs, clinical nurse faculty, and allied health professionals such as respiratory therapists and pharmacy technicians.
 
“The goal of MI Opportunity Partnership is to get people working now,” said Granholm. “These grants will enable our universities and community colleges to meet the demand for high-skilled health care workers quicker and help ensure that people wanting to work in this growing field can get the training they need.”
 
MI Opportunity Partnership was unveiled in the Governor’s 2005 State of the State.  The program, designed to proactively steer unemployed workers into high-demand career fields, including health care, set a goal of matching 30,000 unemployed workers with jobs by the end of the year.  In May, the MI Opportunity Partnership pledge drive began and already over 14,000 job vacancies have been committed.
 
Granholm made the announcement today at Mott Community College in Flint, which is one of the institutions receiving funding.  Mott will partner with Genesys Regional Medical Center to train 83 RNs and other health professionals with a grant of approximately $3 million. (Click on the Related Document below for a full list of grant recipients.)
 
“Our chief nurse hears constantly from frustrated students who have completed classes but can’t get needed clinical experience or who are struggling to get into health care programs at all,” said Department of Community Health Director Janet Olszewski.  “Thanks to collaborative efforts like Mott Community College and Genesys Health System, these grants will help ensure that we are training and employing people quickly.”
 
Community colleges and public universities attached to Michigan Regional Skills Alliances that have partnered with hospitals were invited in April to submit proposals to apply for the funds.
                                                                       
The grant proposals were reviewed by a team from the departments of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG) and Community Health (DCH).  In total, 21 grants were made to 13 different community college and universities.  The grants are being made available with Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funds.
 
The MI Opportunity Partnership specifically targets the health care industry because of the need for skilled workers and the existing vacancies.  According to a recent study released jointly by DLEG and the DCH, the state will need to fill more than 100,000 professional and technical health care jobs in Michigan over the next decade.
 
“Michigan has people out of work and an industry in need of workers,” DLEG Director David C. Hollister said.  “Thanks to the MI Opportunity Partnership and these grants, we can match those needs, meet the growing labor demands of the health care industry, and put people to work without compromising quality.”